Love Isn't Always on Time
by csivegasrocks
Summary: My response to CSIFO June/July challenge. A hot steamy GSR story about how Grissom and Sara got together. Takes place immediately after Committed. Rated M for a reason! If you like GSR hot, this is the place for you! A little AU. Please read and enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Love Isn't Always on Time

_Author's note: I don't own CSI but I do love to play with them! It's the sincerest form of flattery! _

GRISSOM SARA ROMANCE GRISSOM SARA ROMANCE GRISSOM SARA ROMANCE

A/N Here is my response to GSR Forever Online June/July Challenge. Lots of prompts, I'm going to try and include all of them! Wish me luck. And as always, enjoy the story, and leave me a note to let me know if you are enjoying!

Chapter 1

"What do you mean she's in the hospital?" Grissom asked.

"Yeah," Brass said to the voice on the cell phone, "She was investigating that break in the Cirque and she fell off the moving stage."

"Well how is she? She has a special assignment with the task force this weekend!" Grissom asked.

"That's not going to happen," Brass replied. "She's got a broken leg and concussion. I'd say she'll be out for a few weeks."

"Shit." Grissom rubbed his forehead. "OK I'll be there shortly. Your at Desert Palm right?"

"Yup, see you shortly," Brass said as he closed his phone.

"What's up Grissom?" Sara asked for herself and her partners Nick and Warrick. "Who's in the hospital?"

"That would be Catherine," Grissom replied, "And it couldn't be at a worse time, either."

"Oh yeah," Warrick, "She was supposed to be doing that undercover gig with the task force." He shook his head. "That may hurt worse than a work injury!"

Grissom saw the lightbulb go on over Sara's head.

"No," was all he said.

"Grissom," Sara began to debate him, "I can do this, I've done undercover before and I was fine! Remember, I've been trained in weaponless self defense."

"No, Sara," he replied, "You are NOT an exotic dancer." He meant it in only the best of ways, but he knew from the reactions of the rest of the men in the room that he had, once again, inserted his foot directly into his mouth.

"What do you mean? Because I don't wear shirts with my breasts revealed? Because my hair is its natural color? Because I use my brain instead of my sexuality?" Sara was in attack mode. "That's wrong and you know it. You know that I am capable of doing this assignment, why are you being such an …" she stopped short of calling him what she really wanted to call him.

"Yeah, Grissom," Greg piped in, "Sara is gorgeous, she could definitely be an exotic dancer!"

Greg stepped behind Nick to avoid the cold stare he received from his boss. "I guess I'm on decomp for the next month" he said under his breath.

"Yeah buddy," Nick answered him. "I'd just stay out of this one."

"Um Nick," Warrick interjected, "I think we have to go to be at that place… you know to do that … thing, like now…" he stuttered as he stepped backwards out of the layout room.

"Oh, yeah," Nick caught Warrick's drift, "Yes that thing, I remember, with those people, yeah, come on Greg, you can go too."

They vacated the frigid room as quickly as possible, leaving Sara and Grissom to resolve their newest impasse.

"What the hell Sara?" Grissom said, rubbing his brows again, thinking how long this day had already been.

"What's your problem Grissom? You think just cause I freaked a little in the hospital, I can't handle a case. Because just so you remember, I DID solve that case even though I was a little freaked out."

"Sara," he answered, almost in a whisper, "I can't…."

"You can't what Grissom? You can't admit you have feelings for me? News flash. You made it very clear that you don't want me. I get it. I'm over it. So let me move on. I want to focus on my career and get my mind off you."

"Sara," he looked like she had shot him through the heart, "I never said that I…"

She didn't let him finish the thought.

"I know what to do about this, Grissom, but you don't. Fine. I will talk to Brass and Ecklie and I WILL take Catherine's place on this job. And if you don't like it, I'm sorry," she said angrily, trying to push her feelings down as deep as she could. "I'm not your responsibility."

She turned on her heels and stomped out of the room. He could hear her talking to herself as she walked out, but luckily, he couldn't make out the words she was saying.

He thought back to the week before. So much had happened during the investigation at the Psychiatric Hospital. Adam Trent had almost taken her away from him before he even got a chance to tell her how much he truly loved her and how much he needed her in his life. But when the time came to have a conversation, he couldn't find the words, and once again, Sara left hurt and angry. Stupid. How can such a smart man be so stupid.

And once again, he'd made her angry. He hadn't meant it the way she took it. God knows, she's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, so why would she think I was negating her sexuality? Every time I get near her, I feel arousal that I have not felt in decades. She must know that.

How was he going to convince her that she was worthy, not only of the special assignment, but also worthy of having a man who could honor and respect her, not only for her physical beauty, but also for her intelligence, wit and kind heart.

He had walked out to the Denali while having the conversation with himself. Habit, he thought. But as he was entering the truck, he heard a voice from behind him.

Great, its Ecklie. Let's just make this day get better.

"Gil," Ecklie called, walking quickly towards the vehicle, "I need a word with you."

"I'm busy Conrad, I have an employee in the hospital, I need to find out what happened and collect evidence if necessary."

"I'll only take a moment of your precious time, Gil" Ecklie stated, very condescendingly, "Regarding Sidle's request to take Catherine's spot in the undercover operation.." he stopped to judge how far back to step when he delivered the news that he was overruling Grissom's decision. He stepped back slightly. "I have approved her request."

"Well thanks, Conrad, I'm glad to know I can always count on you to back me up!" Grissom said as he slipped behind the wheel and closed the door. He laid his head on the wheel, trying to relieve the pounding behind his eyes.

OK, he said to himself, I really have to do something "about this" before its too late!


	2. Chapter 2

Love Isn't Always on Time

_Author's note: I don't own CSI but I do love to play with them! It's the sincerest form of flattery! _

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A/N :

Two brief notes –

A couple of you have asked for the prompts that I am trying to work in… here they are… Takes place immediately after Committed, story about how they got together, includes 2 of the following: Smut, "I never knew it was possible to feel like this", "Playing coy doesn't really work for you", Greg interrupts a possible intimate moment, Sara singing, Grissom asking Catherine for some sort of advice, but she doesn't "get" that he's talking about himself and Sara, Grissom giving Sara jewelry of some kind. I deleted one that I didn't care for. I'm going to try to get every one of them in!

Oh how I love reading reviews and getting favorite notifications! I had such a great response to the first chapter; I'm hyper-motivated to do more! Thanks to all of you for your kind words. You have no idea how much it means to me!

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Chapter 2

"Gil," Catherine chuckled, "You look worse than I do!"

"I see the stooges have already filled you in on the layout room debacle," he replied.

"You really don't know much about women do you," she laughed. He shook his head sadly, "No, Catherine, I don't."

Wanting to change the subject, he added, "And it appears that you don't know much about walking on the moving stages at Cirque."

She smiled at him, "It was just an accident, the lift moved just as I was jumping off, I missed the last step!"

"Well I'm glad to see you can laugh about it."

"Drugs, Grissom, good drugs, I'm happy about everything right now," Catherine explained, smiling contentedly from the IV drip in her arm. "Should be back to work in a couple weeks, so you can tell Sara she can't have my job."

Grissom shook his head. "No Catherine, the Doctor said it would about six weeks, so, per Conrad Ecklie, Sara will be taking your place on the task force."

Catherine laughed hysterically.

"Its not really that funny, Catherine," Grissom said seriously, "She's not right for the job."

"Well, maybe with some implants she could be," Catherine again laughed hysterically, "She's a pretty girl, but she's not dancer material, no one will buy it."

Grissom suddenly understood why his comment had been taken so badly. It was condescending, just as Catherine was being right now, but he couldn't blame the IV drugs for his lapse of good sense.

"Catherine, I'd leave that alone for now, or at least until you come down off your Oxy-high."

"Sure Grissom, I know you don't want me to talk about your girl like that."

"My girl?" he appeared to be confused. Or at least that's what he told himself he was trying to look like. "You are definitely under the power of those pain killers, you just said Sara was my girlfriend."

"Oh come on Grissom, get your head out of the microscope. You think I'm the only one who notices that you have to fasten your jacket when she gets too close to you? Just go for it, man, you won't have to worry about rejection." She patted his hand for emphasis.

Grissom looked at his feet. He really hadn't thought that anyone had seen his physical reactions to Sara recently. It seemed that since the DUI, he had become very close to her. More than even in San Francisco. But he must have been wrong about being able to conceal his feelings.

"Enough about me," he said, expertly changing the subject, "How are you feeling?"

"Well, other than a broken leg and a concussion, just wonderful." She smiled, "And just think, now I get to listen to my mother tell me that I shouldn't be doing this work and I won't be able to run away from her!"

He laughed. "I'm sure she has your best interest at heart, Cath, as do I, so please try to be more careful next time ok?"

"You got it boss!" she answered, looking at him squarely in the eyes, she began to tell him something really important. "Gil, this is serious now, I want you to listen to me very carefully, you and Sara are…." and she drifted off.

Wow, he thought, just in the nick of time!

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From the driver's seat of the Denali, Sara could be heard for a mile away complaining about the way that she was treated by her supervisor.

"So what am I then?" she asked Nick, "Chopped liver?"

**"Playing coy doesn't really work for you,"** Nick replied, sliding as close to the door as he could to avoid being slugged in the arm. "You know he is crazy about you Sar, he just doesn't want you to get hurt."

"Bull Nick, Bull," she answered, still fuming, "He thinks of me as a co-worker, he's made that clear, I just need to get the hell over it, and you are not helping!"

"Sara," Nick replied in his smoothest, Texas cowboy drawl, "Darling, he is crazy about you, he just doesn't know how to deal with it. Just think about it, does he ever deal with his emotions? Hell for two years, I thought he might be a robot because he never got mad or sad."

She snickered at his robot comment.

"Now there's my girl, let's see that beautiful Sidle smile, and if he doesn't want to take you seriously, I've got a really good friend…."

The slug to his shoulder came out of nowhere.

"Ow, Girl, that's a pretty good right hook you got there!" he said, rubbing his shoulder.

They approached their assigned crime scene and pulled their kits out of the truck.

"No blind dates, Nick. I appreciate the sentiment, but I think I am going to swear off men for a while."

"Oh, in that case, I have a really good girlfriend who…" this time, the punch came to the other arm. "Ok, ok, I get the point!"

She smiled at him. She was so lucky to have so many really good friends. She counted Nick as one of the best.

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Grissom met Brass at the door to Catherine's room.

"How's our little firecracker doing?" Brass asked.

"She's a little dopey right now," Grissom answered his friend, "I think a good sleep will do wonders for her."

"Want to get a beer then?" Brass asked.

"Sure," Grissom responded, "Let's go to Charley's down the road."

They met at the bar about 10 minutes later. Brass knew Grissom's tells and asked him "What's wrong Pal?"

"Nothing," Grissom answered, trying to blow him off.

But Brass, being a detective, was not swayed.

"Gil, you and I have been friends for a long time, I know that you haven't been yourself since the incident with Sara and the nutjob. What's going on?"

"I don't know."

"Baloney, Gil, you know full well what the problem is," Jim insisted as he used his hands to order another round. Brass continued his investigation, "When are you going to face up to the fact that you can't live without her any more?"

"Jim, I just can't do it, it's her career – and mine, and I just don't have guts to risk either." He drank his beer, shaking his head slowly, "**I never knew it was possible to feel like this!"**

"I've been there buddy, I promise," Jim replied, taking a long swallow of his beer, "When I first fell for Annie, I thought I could fight it. But you can't fight true love Gil. I'm sorry, but you might as well throw in the towel, cause you got it bad, and you won't be happy until you find out if she feels the same way."

Grissom nodded, he knew his friend was right, but really couldn't bring himself to admit it.

"And by the way," Jim smiled and winked at his buddy, "I think that odds are that you may be pleasantly surprised by her answer."

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"So, do you think you can teach me to dance?" Sara asked.

"I don't know honey," Catherine replied, still feeling the effects of the painkillers. "Do you have any rhythm at all?"

"Seriously Catherine, how long have we been friends?" Sara answered in disbelief.

"Well," she thought a moment, "We've known each other for about 6 years, but we've been friends for about 4…" she didn't finish the rest of the sentence.

"Catherine, really, you had me at Somethin-somethin," they both laughed remembering Catherine's random answer to the junkie who killed Holly Gribbs.

"Ok, so I'm exaggerating a bit, but what's your point Sara-beara?" Catherine continued to make points with Sara by calling her a nickname she thought she had left behind at age 4.

"I sing in the car all the time, Catherine, of course you know I have rhythm."

"Well my friend, I will do all that I can, but we have only a week and your aren't really … well, how can I say this nicely.."

"You can't," Sara said, trying to give Catherine a lot of leeway due to diminished capacity, "You just can't, so don't say it."

"Oh, Sara, its not your fault. You can't help genetics. But you are a really pretty girl, so we can work around the boobies ok?" Catherine began to drift.

"Thanks, I think," she replied as she watched Catherine float off to dreamland. "I'll prove to you and Grissom that I can do anything I put my mind to!"

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AN Hey thanks again for reading. I wonder what Sara will do as an exotic dancer, or mores to the point, what it will do to Grissom when he sees her dressed up as an exotic dancer. Oh, yeah, GSR on the way in a chapter or two!


	3. Chapter 3

Love Isn't Always on Time

_Author's note: I don't own CSI but I do love to play with them! It's the sincerest form of flattery! _

GRISSOM SARA ROMANCE GRISSOM SARA ROMANCE GRISSOM SARA ROMANCE

A/N : If you love fan fiction, please check out GSRFO online. We will be holding our annual fan fiction contest in the upcoming weeks, so if you are as addicted to ff as I am, please join and join in!

Thanks to all for reading and reviewing! I'm trying to respond to everyone, so please leave me a note.

Don't flame me when you get to the end of this chapter. There is a reason for the interaction, you'll understand why later.

Chapter 3

"Greg," Warrick yelled over the music, "Turn that crap down!"

"Oh what because it's not your music, it's crap?" Greg answered.

"Yes, and because I'm the senior CSI on this case, I win," Warrick said as he grabbed the knob on the radio and turned the music off. "Anyhow, we are here now, so no need to argue!"

They stepped out of the Denali and grabbed their kits. The two men walked over to meet Brass, who had been called out after only a couple hours of sleep. He was clearly pissy.

"Another 420," Brass said, "Looks like a single shot to the head. David is on his way and I'm going home unless you need me for anything."

"No Jim, we got this one, and we can call if we need you," Warrick advised his friend. "There are plenty of uni's here, so go home and take a Tylenol ok?"

Jim left the crime scene in the capable hands of Detective Alex Venison, a recent transfer from Los Angeles, with strict instructions to call if anything came up. Jim was stressed out, not only because of Catherine's injuries, but also because his workgroup was running shorthanded. This was the third double shift he had worked in a row.

Warrick and Greg approached the red Mustang and began to take some overall photos. When the coroner arrived, they helped get the body out of the driver's seat of the car. Taking more photos and documenting the evidence to preserve anything that would be destroyed when the car was moved, they worked quietly and efficiently. It was clear they were comfortable working with each other.

David reached into the victim's pocket and pulled out his license.

"Mark Matzo," David said, "Local."

"Well I don't see any tattoos or anything to indicate he was in a gang, but this sure does look like a hit to me!" Warrick said, trying to impart some of his knowledge to Greg, the level 1 CSI. "Why don't you run it, Greg?"

"Well, it looks like he was moving pretty fast, the skid marks are long and impact looked like it was pretty forceful," Greg spoke as he thought about what he had seen. "Maybe he saw the gun pulled on him from another vehicle and tried to outrun the shooter?"

"I'd say that's a good bet," Warrick answered, impressed by Greg's ability to learn quickly, "No scratches on the side of the vehicle though, so it doesn't look like the were bumping quarterpanels. It could be that he didn't see the gun until the last minute and then "bang" it was over."

"Dead man driving!" Greg speculated.

"OK David, he's all yours," Warrick told the coroner, "Make sure we get tox on him asap."

"You got it Warrick," David replied, moving the stretcher to the coroner's van, "I'll call you as soon as Doc gets his results."

"Let's get back to the lab and see what we can figure out on this one," Warrick instructed his young partner, "and I'll even let you buy me some lunch on the way back."

"Oh lucky me," Greg laughed, "Franks ok?"

"Franks is perfect. Let's go."

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After shift was over, Sara stopped at the local girlie club to watch the exotic dancers. Nick had agreed to go along with her as moral support.

"Well, it wasn't really THAT hard to talk you into going to a strip club," she laughed, ribbing Nick for his quick response to her invitation.

"Well," he replied, "Just consider it professional curiosity. I'd like to see how the magic is made."

They entered through the front door of Jade. Catherine had used her connections to get them in quietly so as not to raise any eyebrows. They walked to the back of the stage and took a seat in the wings to watch the stage.

It didn't take long for them to discover that this would not be close enough to the action for Sara to learn anything, so they left the backstage area and took a table out front.

After Nick slipped away to use the restroom, Sara found herself entranced by the woman dancing on the pole at the center of the stage. She was young and very beautiful. But more than that, she was a great dancer. She was sultry and amazingly flexible. She assumed positions Sara had never seen a person achieve.

As she was watching, she felt someone slip into the chair next to her.

Without turning to look at Nick, she said "Everything come out ok?" and chuckled at her double entendre.

Instead of a masculine Texas drawl, the reply was a sexy female voice.

"Well if you're lucky it could," the young woman replied.

"I'm sorry," Sara said, I thought you were my friend."

"No, I'm Jackie," the woman answered, "What's your name?"

"Sara," Sara replied.

"Was that your boyfriend?" Jackie asked.

Sara looked at her and chuckled, "No, no way."

"Cool, so you are here with him just as a friend?"

Sara was beginning to wonder why this woman had so many questions, but then it dawned on her that she was probably wondering if Nick was available. Not unusual – women often asked her for Nick's number. If the woman was not Nick's type, they would refer to Nick's girlfriend, Mandy as cover to get him out of any awkward situations.

"You know, I'm really sorry, but Nick is dating someone right now," Sara informed her, lying through her teeth, but knowing that this woman was not Nick's type. While she was an attractive woman, she had a masculine way about her that Sara knew would not be Nick's kind.

"That's funny," Jackie replied, as she reached over and touched Sara's hand, "I was more concerned about whether you were dating anyone or not?"

Sara quickly drew her hand back from its place on the table.

"I … uh… Yes, yes I am dating someone, a very special man, right now," she answered, fumbling for words.

Just then Nick arrived back at the table, noticing the position of Jackie's hand and her body language, knowing Sara was being hit on.

"Well hello darling," he gave the women a dazzling smile, and put his arm around Sara's shoulders, "I think we should get going dear."

"Um, yes, I think that would be a great idea," Sara said, relieved to be rescued by a knight in shining armor, "You have to get back to Mandy now, I've kept you away long enough!"

Nick caught her drift.

"Nice to meet you Jackie!" Sara said as she and Nick vacated the table.

"You too sweetie! I sure hope to see you again soon."

"My gaydar must be off," Jackie said to herself as she walked off to try another hit.


	4. Chapter 4

Love Isn't Always on Time

_Author's note: I don't own CSI but I do love to play with them! It's the sincerest form of flattery! _

GRISSOM SARA ROMANCE GRISSOM SARA ROMANCE GRISSOM SARA ROMANCE

A/N : If you love fan fiction, please check out GSRFO online. We will be holding our annual fan fiction contest in the upcoming weeks, so if you are as addicted to ff as I am, please join and join in!

Thanks to all for reading and reviewing! I'm trying to respond to everyone, so please leave me a note.

Chapter 4

Warrick and Greg had come to a dead end. They had investigated the victim, he was an engineer working for a local company. He was originally from Canada, but had become and American citizen 10 years before. He was divorced, no kids, and his only criminal record was a reckless driving ticket the week before.

The bullet was not in the system and there were no witnesses. Dead end.

They decided to take a break and walked down to the breakroom to make a pot of Blue Hawaiian coffee. Greg had convinced Warrick that it could cure almost any ills.

When the got there, they met Nick and Sara who were engaged in a funny conversation.

"All right ya'll," Warrick said, "What's so darn funny?"

"Nothing," Sara answered, kicking Nick under the table.

"No, really, we want a laugh too!" Greg added.

"Well its just that Sara….Ouch, man that hurts!" Nick rubbed his leg where Sara had just kicked him.

"Shut it, Nick," Sara insisted.

"You might as well spill," Warrick said, putting his hand on Nick's shoulder, "You know I'll know before the end of shift anyhow!"

"Now why would I tell you about Sara getting hit on by another woman at the strip club?" he intentionally let slip.

They all began to hoot with laughter as Nick began to tell the story of coming around the corner to find Sara sitting at the table with a stunned look on her face and Jackie's hand on hers.

As they were try to recover, Grissom walked in. He stopped and looked around, thinking for a moment, that his entire team had lost their minds.

"What's so funny?" he inquired.

Sara looked at Nick with pleading eyes.

"Nothing, Grissom," Nick replied, "We were just discussing Sara's new friend."

Greg and Warrick snickered. Sara's heart stopped for a second.

Grissom looked directly at Sara and asked, "You have a new friend?" hoping silently that it was not a new boyfriend. Hank was more than enough.

"No, Grissom, its more than a new friend," Greg added, trying not to break out into a laugh, "Sara has a girlfriend!"

They guys all started laughing again. This time, they couldn't control themselves. They all knew about Sara's pining away for Grissom, and teasing Sara, watching the usually cool and collected Sidle squirm, was better than any comedy they had ever seen.

"Gentlemen," Grissom stated in his very best boss's voice, "Sara's sexuality is none of your business and is not open for discussion at work. So I would suggest you take these assignments and drop this topic permanently."

Each took their assignment for the night and, after refilling their coffee, left the room. Sara remained, her head down on the table, praying for death to take her out of this awkward situation.

Grissom stood by the doorway, watching Sara.

"You can go now," she told Grissom, "I'm completely embarrassed and I don't want to talk to you about it."

"Sara," he said as he sat down beside her, "I know you are not gay. And even if you were, I'd be ok with it. You know that."

"No Grissom, it's not ok, I'm so tired of trying to show you how much I care for you and now to have to explain this... It's more than I can handle right now. And you still don't know what to do about "this" " the tears began to well up in her eyes, "You have proven you don't care about me, so leave me the hell alone and don't pretend you are worried about me. I'm over it. As a matter of fact, I'm sick, put me down for a sick day today and I'll see you next week."

She stood up and began to walk away, but Grissom grabbed her hand and pulled her back to him.

He gently placed his hand under her chin and pulled it towards him.

For a moment, time stood still as they stared into each other's eyes. The spark was electric.

He pulled her chin towards him and placed the gentlest kiss on her lips. He pulled back to assess her reaction and without hesitation, went in for seconds.

The years of unrequited passion unfolded there in the breakroom. When they finally pulled apart, she had a confused expression on her face.

"Sara," he whispered, "I know you are not gay. I know you are a strong and capable investigator. You don't have to prove anything to me. Please don't do this taskforce job."

Sara, still in shock, answered, "I'm proving something only to myself Grissom. I have to do this."

"Then I will stand behind your decision, but know that I am always in your corner. "

"I know that now."

He looked around to make sure they were alone, grabbed her waist, and kissed her again. "One more to make up for lost time," he said.

She felt her toes tingle and her brain spin as the kiss swept her off her feet. She could feel his excitement brewing too. As he released her, she noticed him pulling his jacket around his body.

She had never seen this reaction from Grissom before, but was glad to see that the closeness of their bodies had some effect on him.

"Breakfast today?" he asked.

"I thought you'd never ask," she smiled and walked away.

Always leave them wanting more, her college roommate used to say.

She definitely did.

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Once back in his office, Grissom removed his jacket and sat down at his desk. He rubbed his head and wondered how he had resisted her so long. She was beautiful, vibrant, intelligent, and madly in love with him. It began as an infatuation when he was an instructor and she a student. As time went on, he could never completely convince himself that she had been interested in him romantically. But Catherine and Jim had helped him see the light. But the incident with Adam Trent, watching as a madman held her with a sharp piece of pottery to her throat, made him realize that life was too short to live without her. He just had to think of a way to let her know. The break room was not where he had planned to make his move.

He had to make sure that she stayed safe on this assignment. He now knew he had too much to loose.

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AN Ok this one was short, but I hope the content made up for the length.


	5. Chapter 5

Love Isn't Always on Time

_Author's note: I don't own CSI but I do love to play with them! It's the sincerest form of flattery! _

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Chapter 5

A/N You know what I am going to remind you! Please go to GSRFO online and register so you can vote for your favorite stories of the year (hint, hint). Can't wait to see you there! And make sure you send me a friend request when you get there!

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Greg and Warrick approached the black Camaro. The driver, apparently a middle aged white man, was hunched over the steering wheel with one gunshot wound to the head. David had already beaten them to the scene but was waiting for them to arrive before retrieving the body. Paramedics had already determined that he had died prior to their arrival on the scene. Greg took the photos while Warrick scoured the area for additional evidence.

"Déjà vu?" Greg asked when Warrick came back to the vehicle.

"Yeah, let's get back and run the bullet," Warrick said, "I'm sure we aren't going to find any evidence here."

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Sara met with Theresa Marks in the office of the Sherriff.

"So, you are taking over for Catherine?" she asked.

"Yes, I am," Sara responded, prepared for a fight.

"Great, then let's go over what has happened so far," Theresa began.

Sara took a deep breath. Clearly, she had been accepted by the task force leader and she was ready to take her place on the team.

"The perp is finding dancers on the Vegas Strip, taking them back to the hotel and raping then stabbing them to death. We have lost four in the last two months. He's brutal."

"You are going to have to take a crash course in dancing. Your physique is appropriate for the type he is looking for, and you are pretty. This should work out well," Theresa told her. "I'm setting you up with Carlos Petty, a fine dance instructor here in Vegas. You will start with him this evening. Here is the address to the dance studio. I'm also giving you the address to a local costumer, please go by there first to get fitted for a dancers outfit. Actually get two. I'm not sure how long this will take." She handed Sara a paper with both addresses on it. "You have only two days to master this Sara, I hope we can count on you!"

"I'm a quick learner and I have pretty good rhythm, so I hope this will be fine."

"Sara," Theresa answered, "In my experience, it's about confidence and self-assurity rather than sexuality. You will do fine."

Sara walked out, head held high, knowing that she now had two very strong, smart people in her corner. What could go wrong?

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Back at the lab, Greg and Warrick had run the bullet and got a match to the shooting victim from the previous night.

"Well, that puts us 0 for two then, right?" Greg asked. "I'm so not going to hear the end of this!"

"We'll get to the bottom of this, believe me."

"Warrick?" a female voice entered the room. "Greg? Are you here?"

"Yes Mandy, we're right here," Greg answered, "What do you have for us?"

"I have no news, hut that is good news," Mandy said cryptically, "It's the same as last nights DB, Perfect record except for several speeding tickets and one aggressive driving ticket last week."

"Is that a coincidence?" Greg asked Warrick.

"Well, it could be," Warrick responded, "Let's check the tickets."

"No need," said Mandy, "I have them right here." She handed the file to Greg. "Good luck and let me know if you need anything else." She walked back towards the labs.

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Sara's first stop was at the Isabella Costumier to be fitted for her costumes. The sales person, Juliet, was a young woman who had been an exotic dancer until she had discovered her love for creating costumes. Juliet was very helpful and she found two costumes that accentuated Sara's slim build. She also found an insert to help accentuate Sara's smaller-than-stripper breasts.

"You look super-sexy in these Ms. Sidle," Juliet reaffirmed as she placed the orders for the costumes. I'll put a rush on these for you and they should be here in two days."

Sara thanked her for her help and left to find the dance studio.

Carlos was a tall, slim, Italian man. Sara judged him to be in his late thirties to early fourties. He was slim and well-muscled. He greeted her in the European manner with a kiss to each cheek and a warm smile.

"Miss Sara, so glad you are here!" he greeted her. "We have to work hard for the next two days, but I assure you, you will be an acceptable dancer by the time we are done."

Sara donned a leotard and, with bare feet, stepped up to the ballet bar in front of the studios mirrored wall, and began to learn.

"You know, I used to take ballet when I was little," she told Carlos. She showed him some basics that she remembered. He watched her carefully, assessing her moves and her confidence. He was impressed by how fit she was and how she remember so many of the basic moves.

He decided that this might not be as hard as he had thought.

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When the lessons where over Sara returned to the lab to clock out for the day. She had almost forgotten her breakfast invitation. As she passed Grissom's office, she heard him call her name.

"What's up Grissom?" she asked.

"I like your hair like that, up, it looks great."

"Thanks," she responded.

"Are you ready for breakfast?" he asked.

"Yes, I am starved after all the work I have done today."

"Want to meet me at Franks in about 20 minutes then?" he asked.

"Make it 30 and you have a date," she answered with a huge smile.

She turned to walk the other way, towards the showers instead of the exit. Note to self, she though, wear hair up.

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Thanks for reading and don't forget to leave me a review! I love hearing from you!


	6. Chapter 6

Love Isn't Always on Time

_Author's note: I don't own CSI but I do love to play with them! It's the sincerest form of flattery! BTW I don't own Toto either, but I love the song Love Isn't Always On Time!_

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Chapter 6

A/N I'm going back to class this week, so this will continue with about 3 chapters per week. I hope you will continue to stay with us!

This chapter: prompt – Sara singing.

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Franks, the place where all the men and women of the LVPD come to relax was probably not the best place for Grissom and Sara to have their "first date."

Sara slipped into the booth across from Grissom. He closed his phone and smiled at Sara.

"Catherine is doing much better," he said, "Lily says that she is driving her and Linds crazy with the bell they gave her."

"Oh no, Catherine must be miserable being stuck in bed," Sara replied, "I'll be going by there this afternoon, I guess I'd better bring something to keep her occupied,"

"Oh I didn't know you were going to visit?" he tried to hide his surprise.

"Well, not really just a visit," Sara laughed, "I'm going for some instruction."

"Ah," he said, "That … well I guess that is the right person to get dance lessons from."

"Well Catherine and my instructor, Carlos."

"Who's Carlos?"

"The instructor that the department set me up with."

"Oh?" he answered, "You're dancing with a man?"

"Yes," Sara answered, "Why?"

"Uh, no reason," he lied.

"So, do you want to see my costume?" she asked.

"Yes," he said, wanting to avoid the conversation about the dance instructor.

She took out her cell phone and pulled up the pictures she had taken of the long flowing white costume.

"You dance in this?" he asked.

"Of course, I'm supposed to be a stripper silly."

He felt that old feeling again. Suddenly, even before the meal, his pants began to feel very snug.

"Of course," he said, looking for some way to change the subject. He found it.

The waitress came to take their order.

Grissom ordered a heavy breakfast; bacon, eggs, toast, and hashbrowns. Sara raised her eyes at the order of bacon.

Sara ordered pancakes and fresh strawberries.

"Would you like a drink with that?" she asked.

They both ordered coffee and juice and, when the drinks arrived, as they began to sip the coffee, they settled into a comfortable silence.

"You know, I've been thinking a lot about you lately," Grissom finally admitted, breaking the silence. "I thought I was going to loose you."

"Yes, I was kinda scared there for a minute or two!" Sara replied, shaking her head.

"When I saw Trent holding that shard to your throat, I just kept thinking that if I never saw you again, never got to tell you how much you have meant to me, never got to apologize for all the mistakes I've made – San Francisco, is the big one, all of these things went through my mind in an instant."

Sara smiled at him. She loved him despite his flaws and she knew what he was saying was coming from his heart.

"Sara," he continued, "There are so many things that I should have said, or done, but I'm not a man who is good at dealing with emotions and feelings."

"I know, Grissom," she tried to help him feel better, "Its ok, we're talking now."

"Will you do something for me?" he asked.

"Anything," responded, and really meant it.

"When we are alone, and I hope we will be alone a lot more often after today, please call me Gil." His blue eyes flashed.

"Ok Gil," she said, seeing how the name sounded on her lips. "Gil-bear."

He smiled, "Just Gil would be fine."

"So," she inquired as she stirred her coffee for the 20th time, "You would like to see more of me?"

"In more ways than one."

She was shocked by his bold statement, but smiled at him brightly and said, "Mutual."

"What happened to us Sara?" he asked, "We seemed to be moving towards a relationship after the conference, but, I don't know, it's like we just …"

"You shut us down, Gris…I mean Gil…we got close and then it was like you stopped calling as often and stopped visiting completely. And you'd send me an email every week or so. I didn't know what to think."

"I know its my fault Sara," he shook his head sadly, staring at the coffee for words to say to apologize for how he had neglected their relationship, the words he found were not his own. "I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you. I love you not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you are making of me. I love you for the part of me that you bring out."

"Barrett-Browning?" she inquired.

He nodded, waiting, she had not heard his commitment to her.

The waitress brought the plates to the table and asked if they needed anything else. They both declined.

She took the first bite of her pancakes and suddenly looked up. "Did you say love?"

He chuckled and reached out to touch her hand. "Yes, dear."

"Wow, you move fast!" she smiled, but then added, "That one is mutual too."

He grinned at her with an amazingly brilliant smile.

"Let's not dwell on the past Gil," she forgave him in that second, "Love isn't always on time."

"That sounds familiar but I can't place it."

"You know, Toto, the band," she sang quietly, "Hold the line, love isn't always on time.."

"You do have a beautiful voice," he complimented her, "but I'm not sure I know that one. The sentiments are good though."

"I have it on my Ipod, I'll play it for you."

They ate in silence for a few moments.

"So now what?" he asked.

"Gil, I've always known what to do "about this", your are the one who had to make up your mind."

"I have officially lifted my head out of the microscope, and what I have seen is beautiful," he said sweetly.

"You are going to make me blush!"

"Dinner?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Let's take it slow," Grissom suggested, "I know that I am in love with you, but I'm old-fashioned, and I want you to be romanced and treated specially."

"Let do it!" she replied.

"But there is one hesitation," he added.

"What's that?"

"I'm not ready to bring this to work," he stated.

She stopped for a second and looked at him. He could read the confusion on her face.

"Sara," he began, "There are things that people at work don't need to know about, and our personal lives are included." He thought before he spoke knowing that he could say the wrong thing and quickly be back in the doghouse. "I want us to have a chance to make this work, and then we will bring it to our friends first. In time."

"Our secret?" she smiled.

"Our secret." He agreed. "I wish I could kiss you right now."

"I have to go to the bathroom," she announced.

"Thank you?" he asked, puzzled.

"The men's room is right across from the women's and there is no access except through the hallway," she explained, "Wait a sec and then meet me there."

She slipped away, leaving him sitting at the table looking confused. After a moment, he indicated to the waitress that he'd be right back and walked into the hallway towards the bathroom.

As promised, she stood there, waiting for him.

He stepped up to her and put his hand under her chin, pulling her closer to his face. When their lips met, he felt fireworks exploding in his chest. Her lips were soft, and the taste of her tongue on his was intoxicating to him.

She pulled away and reminded him "Slow, big boy, slow," and she walked back out to the table and sat down.

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A/N Now does anyone REALLY think he can take it slowly? LOL Thanks for reading! Please leave me a review! I see new names on the notifications, so please introduce yourself and send me your feedback! I love to hear from you!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

A/N Thanks for waiting. As promised, the next chapter!

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Greg and Warrick were in the lab trying to get results from their 2 victims. They apparently had nothing in common but the fact that they had received tickets for aggressive driving in the past month.

"So, do you think someone is just killing people who cut them off?" Greg asked.

"Well, I know I've been mad when people have cut in front of me," Warrick answered, "But I don't think anyone would kill over it. But I could be wrong."

"Well, it's a theory, not a good one, but one," Greg suggested.

"What about where they were killed?" Warrick asked, trying to throw out possibilities.

"Do you mean just random acts of violence?" Greg asked, "Yeah it could be the case, but I just don't see it."

"Ok, let's run it again…" Warrick said as they sat down at the layout table to look at the evidence again.

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They stood outside Frank's not wanting to part.

"Slow," she reminded him, "You said slow."

"I am so sorry I said that."

"I have a dance lesson tonight, but I'll be in to the lab right after that. I'm going to see Catherine tomorrow and get some pointers."

"Can I come?" he asked.

Nervous laughter. "No," she replied, "I don't think I can handle that."

"Well, in that case, dinner tonight before work?" he asked.

"Yes, that sounds great."

Grissom opened Sara's car door for her and slammed it shut once she was in. He put his hand on the window to encourage her to be safe.

She drove home her usual route, head spinning from the conversation, and the kiss. She didn't know what had gotten into her, kissing him in the hallway of the restaurant. But it was good. She kept thinking about the taste of his lips and the smell of his cologne. He didn't wear cologne at work, so she knew he had gone out of the way to prepare for their date. She thought about the feeling of his body next to hers, how his muscled arms held her. She was surprised by how firm his midriff was. He always wore such baggy clothes that she had no idea what she would find under them.

Before she knew it, she was home. She got out of her car, still on cloud nine, and walked to her apartment. She opened the door, threw her keys in the basket, and began to sort the mail. She walked through to the bedroom and began to take off her clothing in favor of her Harvard sweats and NVPD t-shirt.

She heard a knock at the door and, as she was pulling her hair up into a housework pony-tail, she walked to the door. Looking through the peephole, she saw a huge green plant through the opening.

"Who is it?" she asked, expecting the delivery person to identify their company.

"You won't be surprised if I tell you!" someone who sounded remarkably much like Grissom said from behind the plant.

She laughed, recognizing the voice immediately. "What are you doing here?"

"Open the door and I'll tell you."

She complied with his request and accepted his gift. It was a beautiful bamboo plant in a clay pot, just the right size for her kitchen.

"I can't get you out of my mind, Sara," he said.

"We've only been apart for an hour, Gri…Gil."

He pushed the door closed, grabbed the plant from her hand and placed it down on the table. With both hands now free, he grabbed her around the waist and firmly pulled her against him.

Once they parted to breathe, she looked at him and asked, "What's gotten in to you?"

"Honestly?" he asked, trying to look innocent and failing miserably.

"Yes, always, be honest," she said, sincerely.

"I kept imagining you in that costume, and I couldn't go home."

They laughed together. It was a comfortable laugh. It hadn't taken them any time at all to fall back into the comfortable relationship they had started those many years before.

"In that case," she said, "Come in and I'll make you some tea and model the white one for you so you can get it out of your mind."

"I can't wait."

She made him a cup of tea and then disappeared into her bedroom. She came back looking like an angel in white.

"You look…" he was at a loss for words… "Silently, one by one, in the infinite meadows of heaven, Blossomed the lovely stars, the forget-me-nots of the angels."

"Longfellow?" she asked, bringing out of his stupor.

"My god Sara, you are gorgeous."

"So you think I can pass for an exotic dancer?" she asked.

"Come here and I'll give you a tip to prove it!" he suggested, raising an eyebrow.

She slowly walked to where he was sitting, swinging her hips for effect, and getting the reaction she had been looking for.

He squirmed in his seat, trying to make the bulge in his pants less visible. Again, failing miserably.

She stood in front of him, running her hands down her sides like she had seen Mae West do in an old movie, "You like?" she said.

"I love."

He grabbed her hand and kissed it. He looked up at her, fighting the urge to pull her into his lap and ravish her right there. He lost.

As he pulled her to him, the smell of her perfume made him even more aroused than the sight of her in the costume.

She landed in his lap, laughing, and in her very best Mae West imitation asked, "Is that a gun in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"

They both fell apart laughing. It was nice to be there with him, not in trouble, not crying, just sharing a moment of pleasure without worrying what might be next.

"I've got to go take this off so it doesn't get damaged," she told him.

"Can I help?" he asked, trying his best to make that sound innocent.

"No, you stay here, I'll be right back."

"Ok if you're sure…" he said, looking sad.

"I'll be right back," she promised, "Hold my spot."

She walked back to the bedroom and found her sweats laying on the bed where she had left them. She shook her head and went to the closet to find something "more comfortable". She found a black tank top and the khaki shorts that she always got complimented on when she wore them. She assessed her appearance in the mirror. She looked good.

Sara walked back out to the living room and prepared to sit down on the couch across from Grissom's place in her recliner.

"Ah, no, I held your place!' he said, pulling her back into his lap.

They sat, wrapped around each other, kissing passionately, hands roaming, and breathing heavily. When they came up for air, he looked her deeply in the eyes and told her she was "intoxicating."

They sat like that for a few more minutes until Sara suggested that they might be more comfortable in her room.

"Sara, I can't, I mean, I want to, but its too soon!"

"I know, Gil," she said, "But we are both adults and we can sleep in the same bed without making love."

"I don't know that I can do that Sara, I'm too…" he looked down at the place where his pants had tented.

"I know, I know," she said soothingly, "But I promise, I won't jump on you tonight. I'm not a first date kind of girl."

"Let's see how it goes," she continued, taking him by the hand and leading him through into the bedroom, "Let's see how it goes."

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A/N More in a couple days! Hope you enjoyed the fluff!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

A/N I hope you are enjoying!

SMUT ALERT – If you don't like SMUT don't read this chapter! But since you all know I am a smut-er, I'm pretty sure you knew this was coming!

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They woke up the next afternoon wrapped in each other's arms. It felt great. Sara thought that she had been dreaming, but when she smelled his musky scent, she knew it was real.

Grissom, on the other hand, woke up with his recent morning problem. An erection. Since the incident with Trent at the asylum, they had become closer and she figured predominantly in most of his dreams. But he never expected to be so close to her. And the closeness of her body, her sweet scent, her soft hair, all were having an embarrassing affect on his body.

He knew he was in love with her, but he was scared. More scared than he had been of anything. He had worked so hard to have the career he had wanted and having an affair with a subordinate might be a career ender. But he had come to realize that loving Sara was something he was not going to be able to deny and that if it meant leaving his job, he would be fine.

Think of dead puppies, he thought to himself. He felt things beginning to relax until she moved up against him and ran her fingers through his soft, curly hair.

"Sara," he said, quietly, "You are going to have to stop that."

"But I love your hair."

"Yes and I love you," he answered, "Which is why you are going to have to stop that."

She suddenly realized that there was a slight lift in the sheets.

"I'm glad to see that," she said, "I have that effect on you?"

"You have for a while now," he told her, "probably about 10 years or so."

She reached down to touch him, but he grabbed her hand.

"If you start, Sara, I don't know that I will be able to stop."

"Who said I wanted you to stop?"

"You said not on the first date…." He questioned.

"It's not the first date anymore," she whispered in his ear and pushed his hand away, "It's the second date now."

She reached down and gently rubbed the offending body part. He growled a soft response in her ear. She gently unzipped the pants he had slept in and freed him. She knew he was well built, but she was surprised by how big he was. The thought that she was now this close to making love to the man she had wanted for so long was dizzying. She lovingly pressed her hands against his skin and felt him respond to her massage.

He lay in her bed, feeling her hands on him, and trying his best to control the urge to grab her and ravish her right there.

To hell with it, he thought, as he grabbed her and rolled her onto her back.

"Gil," she giggled, "What has come over you?"

"I can't control myself any more," he said, layering kisses onto her neck and moving down to her breasts. He lifted her t-shirt and pulled it over her head, revealing her beautiful body. Her breast were perfect, the most beautiful he had ever seen. He reached down to her with his lips and began to kiss and caress her.

His lips felt so warm and sexy on her body. She began to feel that she was going to explode inside. It had been months since she had been with a man and she was anxious to make it last long enough to satisfy both of them.

He reached own to her sweatpants and pulled them off. Slowly, he used his fingers to massage her core and made her squirm with anticipation. He was gentle but firm in his ministrations. He worked with the hands of an experienced lover, bringing her to the edge and back several times before she begged him to take her.

She reached for the drawer in her bedside table and grabbed a condom. She slowly rolled the latex over his erection and caressed him the whole way down. He growled, never having felt this good about putting on a condom. He positioned himself over her and began to enter her. As he felt the penetration begin, he had to breathe deeply to control himself.

She felt him begin to enter her and she could hardly control herself. She felt a rush of emotion and felt that she couldn't breathe. He increased his pressure on her until, for what felt like a lifetime, they were one. Quickly, they both exploded, releasing the tension that had been between them for so long.

It was right. They both knew that this was an addiction that they would never be able to give up.

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When he woke again about an hour later, he was alone in the bed. It took a moment, but he suddenly realized where he was and, after determining he heard the sound of running water; that Sara was still there. She had not run off.

He walked to the bathroom and gently tapped on the door.

"Come in," she said.

"Hey you," he said, trying to sound casual, "Busy day today?"

"Yes, I have a dance lesson and then a meeting with Catherine," she answered, "But I was hoping we could have dinner tonight."

"I'd like that more than you would know."

She stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around her body and another around her curly hair.

"Are you going to straighten your hair?" he asked.

"I was planning on it," she replied.

"I like it curly."

She was surprised. "Really?"

"You said I should always be honest."

"Ok, curly it is then," she replied, toweling her hair dry and running some style gel through the curls.

"I'm going to go home and shower and get a couple hours of rest before work," he told her, "But I'll see you at the lab?"

"I promise."

"What time are you meeting with Catherine?" he asked.

"Right after dancing," she replied, "So around 7 ish."

"I may go by there before then, so maybe I'll see you there before work?"

"Sounds good. And Gil," she began, "Why don't you bring your toothbrush and a change of clothes here?"

"Thank you honey, I think that's a great idea," he answered, "I'd like to wake up with you more often."

"Mutal."

"That was amazing, Sara," he suddenly softened his voice, grabbing her toweled body and pulling her tightly to him.

"Yeah, it was pretty awesome," she answered. "I could go for a do-over tonight."

"It's a date."

"But if you don't let go of me, I won't be able to get to work and my boss is a real hard-ass for being late!"

"I think he'll let it go this one time," he smiled at her and let her go, trying to pull the towel away from her.

"Gil," she laughed, "You can't possibly…" she looked at him with those big, beautiful brown eyes. Her eyes grew wider when she realized he wasn't kidding about going again.

"I thought that men… you know, of a certain, um, age, couldn't, well, um…" she tried to find the right words.

"With you," he quietly informed her, "I think there could be more than one or two in your future."

They laughed together. This was how life was meant to be, he thought. With the woman I love, comfortable and able to be completely myself.

She removed the towel in a very sensual way, almost like a stripper (clearly she had learned something from her class yesterday) and, while kissing her neck, he led her to the bedroom and made them both late to work.

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A/N OK Back to the story and the mystery for the next chapter. Hope you enjoy! Leave me a message and let me know how I'm doing!


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

A/N Lets get this into high gear! The prompt for this chapter is: Grissom asking Catherine for some sort of advice, but she doesn't "get" that he's talking about himself and Sara

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"Sara?" Grissom asked quietly.

"Yes," she responded thoughtfully.

"I just wanted you to know that.." he paused, awkwardly, "I um, I don't usually do this after just one, I mean two, dates."

She smiled.

"You do believe me, don't you?"

"Well," she grinned an evil grin, "My boss says I should follow the evidence…" she left the sentence unfinished. The implication was enough.

"Anyhow," she continued, "Its not really the first or second date. We've been dating on and off about 8 years now. It's not like we just met at a bar."

"You have captivated me since the moment I met you, Sara," he sincerely informed her, "You are the only woman in the world for me. This morning has just made me realize it even more."

"Yes, it was good, wasn't it?" she confirmed, smiling broadly.

"Good isn't even close to how it was," he said, smiling slyly.

"Ok Romeo," she answered, "Tonight, but now I must go to work because I have an appointment with a handsome dance instructor."

He made a face she had never seen him make before.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Nothing." He lied. "Just be safe."

He tried to hide the jealousy that he was feeling, but was clearly failing.

"I have someone to live for," she kissed him on the lips, gently, seductively, teasing him for more.

"Sara," he said hesitantly, "I'm going to tell you something, but you do not have to reciprocate." A long pause, "Sara, I love you, I think I always have, but now I am sure."

She smiled again, and this time, she replied, "I have loved you forever Grissom, and I know what to do about this!"

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She arrived at the dance studio only 10 minutes late. Impressive, she thought, considering, well, the activities of the morning and afternoon.

"Carlos," she called, breezing into the room, "I'm here for my lesson."

Carlos came through the door behind her.

"Damn cops," he spat, "what the fuck is their problem?"

She looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Shit, Sara, I'm sorry, you are a cop kinda aren't you?" he seemed moderately embarrassed by his statement.

"Its ok Carlos," she replied, "we all have our own opinions. What happened?"

"Well I was driving down Flamingo Boulevard, running late as usual, when this asshole cop pulled me over and ticketed me for reckless driving. Seriously? Reckless? How can I be reckless with all these damn tourists going 2 miles an hour gawking at the lights."

"So you weren't driving recklessly?" she asked, "I'm pretty sure that you wouldn't just get a ticket for no reason at all."

"Well, I could have been going a little too fast, and I probably did cut a car or two off, but man, I mean I'm not the only one who is frustrated by these hicks driving on our roads."

"Yes, but you have to be safe, Carlos," she took the police stance, "You could have hurt yourself or someone else."

She could tell he wasn't buying her advice.

"What do you drive?" he asked her.

"A really nice blue Prius," she answered, proud of her contribution to keeping Vegas Green.

"Well I drive a red Camaro, and it's a drag how many times I get stopped just for driving while in a red sportscar."

"I'm so sorry you have been treated badly," she tried to get him to change the subject, "But that must be a really nice car if so many people pay close attention to it!"

"Oh yes, Lola," he answered, "You know, like the Barry Manilow song. The old dame from the Copa?"

"Nice!" she answered.

"Speaking of the Copa," she found her transition, "How about dancing with me?"

"Your wish is my command," he replied, returning to his usual charming self.

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After two solid hours of dancing, Carlos wished Sara a good evening and commended her for her work on the routines.

"You were very sexy this evening," he complimented her, "You seem like you have found your confidence!"

"I have," she confided.

"He must be a very lucky man," Carlos answered.

She smiled, but turned just slightly pink, blushing that he could easily read what she had been up to earlier that day.

"Um, well, thank you," Sara changed the subject yet again, "One more lesson tomorrow?"

"Yes, that is it, one more and then you are on your own, but you will do well!" he said.

"Thanks Carlos, it's been fun!"

"My pleasure, darling, my pleasure for sure."

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Meanwhile, Grissom had stopped by Catherine's home prior to going to work. He found her up and around on crutches, pushing it way too soon for his liking.

"Does your doctor know you are up and moving around?" he asked.

"No, dad," she replied, "I'm ok though, I'm not putting any weight on it and I'm being very careful."

"As careful as you were at the Cirque?" he asked, sarcastically.

"Ok, I got your drift, I'll sit," she responded, "But I just wanted to get a cup of coffee and I didn't think it would be nice to ask you to make it."

"I know where the coffee is Catherine, I'll get my own."

"Well, I've got one of those one cup coffee thingys now, so you just pour in a cup of water and then put the little cuppy thing in the top and push the button."

"I can figure it out, Catherine, thank you!"

"There's some nice Earl Grey tea there too."

"That's great, I'll make one for myself."

When he came back to the living room, he sat across from Catherine.

"Catherine," he began, "I just was wondering, I mean if you don't mind me asking, did you ever get jealous of Eddie when you were married?"

"Oh hell no," she answered, "I was always much better off than him!"

"No, I mean," he stumbled, trying to find the words without revealing too much, "I mean did you ever GET jealous when he was with other women?"

"No, not really, he was always stepping out on me," she answered, shaking her head in the memory, "I think I might have been jealous the first time or two, but after I had Lindsay, I knew he'd be coming home."

He nodded.

"But once I knew for a fact that it was happening, I got mad, not jealous, really really mad."

"How did you handle it?" he asked.

"Well, I wanted to go slap the bitch," she answered, "But I didn't want to have an assault charge and loose my job."

"Good decision," he said, confirming her choice.

"So I went to a lawyer and drafted divorce papers and took Lindsay, the house, the van, and all of the other things I busted my ass to get, and left him with his little tramp."

"Well, I guess that won't work for me," he answered.

"You jealous?" she laughed, "Of what? Or who? Did Conrad get another promotion? Did someone else's cockroach beat yours?"

Realizing what he had just said, he tried to backtrack.

"Well, yes, its just that, well, this friend of mine, from school, got a great job with NASA and I was a little let down…" he thought he had come up with a response quickly enough. He was wrong.

"You are jealous of Ecklie, aren't you?" she asked, "You decided that you did want the directorship!"

"You are too smart for me, Catherine, I can't keep anything from you."

"I know, I'm a great CSI for a reason!" she smiled, sipping her coffee.

He smiled and thought, OK, dodged that bullet.

"So," she changed the subject, "How's our little dancer doing?"

"She's great," he replied, without thinking about it to closely, "I mean, she's doing fine."

"Speaking of Sara," she broke in to his thoughts of earlier in the day, "She should be here shortly. Can you two play nicely in my living room?"

"I think that can be arranged."

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Carlos took Flamingo home later that evening. It was not his usual route, but he wanted to test his theory that it was his car and not his driving that had earned him the hefty ticket.

It was too bad that he had not taken his normal route.

A dark grey car pulled up beside him and rode eise him, pacing him, all the way up Flamingo. When he prepared to turn, the car pulled up beside him and "BANG" Carlos knew nothing else. He was dead.

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A/N Thanks so much for reading and writing reviews! I hope you are enjoying!


	10. Chapter 10

_Chapter 10_

_Author's note: I don't own CSI but I do love to play with them! It's the sincerest form of flattery!_

So, I wonder what happened to Carlos?

I'm sorry about the duplicate posting of chapter 9! Late night posting is clearly not a good idea! But thank you so much for letting me know. Without further hesitation – chapter 10 and a secret you didn't know about Catherine!

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A knock at the door alerted Catherine to the fact that she had another visitor.

"I'll be right there," she yelled, trying to use the crutches to get up from her perch on the sofa.

"No you won't," Grissom directed, "I'm up, I'll get the door."

He walked to the front door and, noting it was Sara, ran his hand through his hair and took a quick glance at the mirror in the front hallway to make sure he was presentable.

Opening the door, he greeted her with a handsome smile.

"I told you I'd be here!" he said.

"I'm glad you're here!" she answered.

The space between them seemed like the Grand Canyon, but they both knew that they could not let Catherine in on this yet. It was too new and too tenuous.

"I can't wait to get you alone," he whispered as they walked into the living room through the long hallway.

"Ditto."

"Hi Catherine, how are you doing," she said, changing her tone quickly.

"Well, all things considered, I guess I'm doing ok," Catherine answered, "But I'm bored to tears and can't wait to come back to work."

"I know the feeling," Sara answered, "I can't stand being home when I could be working on an interesting case."

"Rub it in, Sara," Catherine said, assuming that Sara was bragging about taking her place on the undercover case.

"Oh, Catherine, I'm sorry, that's not what I meant," Sara said apologetically, realizing she had sounded rather glib.

Grissom's phone buzzed.

"Grissom," he barked into the phone. "Oh, ok, I'll be there shortly."

"Ladies," he said as he stood up, "As fun as I think this would be, I have to go to the lab early. We have a dead exotic dancer and another dead driver."

"OK well, I'll be there in about an hour," Sara informed him.

"If she has made enough progress," Catherine corrected.

"Sara?" Grissom asked, "Can I get you to look at something in the Denali before I go?"

"Are you sure it can't wait?" Sara asked, pretending to be annoyed at his request, but knowing full well that she wanted the alone-time as much as he did.

"I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important."

"Grissom important or the rest of the world important?"

Catherine sat there with her jaw in her lap. They were at it again.

"You two sound like an old married couple, what is it with you?" she interjected. "Sara go see what your boss needs you to see, Grissom, ask nicely, it wouldn't kill you to say please."

"Ok, Mom," Grissom replied, smiling at his old friend. He turned to Sara and sappy-sweet said, "Would you please come out to look at what I have in the Denali."

"Absolutely, I would love to."

They walked out to the Denali and stood outside of Catherine's eyesight.

"You know she's watching right?" Sara asked.

"Yes, and for that reason, I won't kiss you, even though I really want to."

"Now what did you want me to look at?" she asked.

"This man who is crazy about you."

She smiled sweetly.

"This…" he said, handing her a small box.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Open it and find out," he smiled.

She followed his instructions and opened the box, revealing a gold necklace with a white charm, looking much like an ankh. It was clearly bought to match the costume.

"I'm hoping to see this with the costume in private," he said with a voice that was usually reserved for the bedroom.

"This is gorgeous," she replied.

"But it pales in comparison to the woman who will wear it."

"Thank you Gris… Gil, that was a very kind gesture. But I'm not the kind of girl that needs presents. You do know that right?"

"I know, but humor me, I don't get to do things like this very often and I want you to feel special."

"All I have to do is look into those blue eyes of yours and I know."

"If I don't leave soon, I won't be able to leave, so I'm going now."

"Definitely worth the trip out!" she told him, "But what am I going to tell Catherine I came out here for?"

He gave her one of his most dazzling smiles and said, "That's your problem." He looked around, kissed her on the cheek and got into his truck and drove off.

"Damn you, Grissom," she said to no one in particular, "If you weren't so damn sexy I'd … well I'd … ok so maybe I wouldn't," she found herself speaking to herself as she approached Catherine's door. "Straighten up, Sidle," she said to herself. She slid the necklace into her front pocket.

"I'm back," she said, "And in one piece."

Catherine looked at her, smiled, beginning to see the puzzle coming together, but not willing to venture a guess yet. She decided to play a little.

"You really should be nicer to Grissom, he's just a tough old workaholic, he doesn't mean to be an ass." (That ought to work, she thought, let's watch her defend him.)

"You're right," Sara answered, confounding the woman who thought she had it all figured out.

"Dance time?" Catherine asked.

"Let's do it!" Sara answered, "But where are we going to get a pole?"

"In my bedroom of course," Catherine answered, as if everyone had a stripper pole in their bedroom.

"Of course," Sara answered, playing along, "Of course."

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Once the dance instruction was done, Catherine sat down on the sofa across from Sara and sipped her tea.

"You really might be able to pull this off, you know?"

"Don't sound so incredulous Catherine. I'm not completely inept."

"I know Sara, but I've never seen you this in touch with your feminine side. I mean, you don't usually even wear make-up."

Sara smiled.

"What's up Sara? Why are you suddenly so confident?" Catherine prodded her.

"Nothing, Catherine, nothing at all."

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When she finally got to the lab, Sara was greeted by a smiling Grissom.

"So, Catherine told me that you are doing well," he told her.

"Is that a surprise?" she asked.

"No. She also told me that she tried to get you to say why you were so happy and she said that you were cagey." He laughed. "Is that true?"

"Very True!" she answered, then trying to change the subject, "Do you have some work for me?"

"Yes, you have a db waiting in autopsy. Warrick is off tonight so you will be working with Greg, ok?"

"Of course, but are you sure its ok with you?" she looked at him with a very serious glance.

"Of course. Insecure, I am not."

He rubbed his hand up her arm, sending goosebumps up her spine.

"Dinner?" he asked.

"Breakfast," she corrected.

"See you in eight hours."

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Down in autopsy, Sara met up with Greg who had been speaking with Doc Robbins. They had determined that the victim probably had been killed by the same gun as the other two previous victims. The bullets had already been sent to confirm the guess.

Sara walked over to the body, but quickly drew back, making a sound of shock.

"What's wrong Sara?" Doc Robbins asked.

"This is Carlos," she said, fighting back the tears.

"Yes," Doc Robbins, confirmed, not quite grasping that the body on his table was someone that Sara knew.

"No!" she said, not able to hold back, her emotions, and taking Greg completely by surprise.

"Sara," Greg said as he reached for Sara, "What's wrong?"

"He's my…" she struggled for the words.

"Your what?" he asked, concern showing on his face, "Your boyfriend?"

"No, my dance instructor! I just saw him earlier today. What happened?"

"He was a victim of the Drive By Killer," Greg answered as he directed her into the chair that Doc Robbins just pulled up behind her.

"What is The Drive By Killer?" she asked, realizing she had been out of the lab far too much this week. She usually knew everything about everything.

"He's the third victim that has been killed by someone who apparently just pulled up beside them and shot them."

"No other common denominators?" she asked.

"The only things we can find is that they both had traffic tickets."

"So did Carlos!" she interjected, "He told me that he had been stopped for reckless driving this morning."

"Well," Greg announced, "Let's go follow the evidence!"

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	11. Chapter 11

_Chapter 11_

_Author's note: I don't own CSI but I do love to play with them! It's the sincerest form of flattery!_

Have you ever wanted to kill the driver that just cut you off? I'm just asking!

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Greg hit the enter key on the computer in their shared work area.

"What are you looking for?" Sara asked.

"About a month ago, I noticed this website," Greg answered, distracted by his search, "I was just surfing when I found this site about bad driving in Vegas. It has a list of all of the people who got pulled over for excessive speed or aggressive driving."

"Well where would that info come from?" she asked.

"Where there's a will, you know these bloggers will find a way," Greg answered, continuing to refine his search until he finally found what he wanted "Ah-ha, here it is!"

Sara leaned over his shoulder to get a better look at the screen.

"You smell good, Sara," Greg mentioned as Sara leaned closer.

She laughed, gave him a friendly slap on the back of the shoulder, "Greg, focus, you are still not my type."

"Oh, Sara, you are just confused, I am so your type."

"Just type ok?"

They both laughed. It was no secret that Greg had a mad crush on Sara. He still did. But he had come to terms with the fact that he was not ever going to be her type. But once that was cleared up, it left them to become friends, maybe the closest friend Sara had ever had. Greg was like a brother to her, and she loved him in a way that made him feel good about coming in second place to whoever her new boyfriend was.

They worked together efficiently to find information on their three victims. It was a no-brainer. They had all been cited by the same police officer.

"Vigilante justice?" he asked.

"Well, it seems that it could be the case, but let's get Brass and go check this guy out."

"I'll drive," offered Greg, knowing what her reaction was going to be.

"Only if you get to the keys first," she answered, two steps ahead of him out the door, heading towards the garage.

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Grissom sat in his office, darkened as usual, deep in thought, when the phone rang, disturbing his reverie.

"Grissom," he answered.

Brass was on the other end. "Gil, I think we may have a lead on the Drive-By Killer."

"Great, what's up?" Grissom asked.

"Sara and Greg figured out that the same cop issued a ticket to each of these drivers, we are on the way to check him out."

"Let me know what you find out."

He leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head, returning to his thoughts.

Just for a moment, he was back in San Francisco. Teaching at the Forensics Academy Conference.

And there was Sara, sitting in the front row, hair up in a high pony-tail, low rise jeans, tank top, and jacket. He remembered noticing how inviting her breasts looked in that shirt, with a blue beaded necklace hanging just in the right spot to draw the eye to the scoop in her shirt.

He remembered being embarrassed when she caught him checking her out. But instead of being upset, she looked at him and gave him a brilliant smile. He noticed her slight gap, reminding him of one of his favorite actresses, Lauren Hutton. Her eyes, deep brown, made him feel relaxed, even though she had busted him checking out her chest.

When she approached him after the lecture, he had to put his jacket on again. He was so embarrassed by his body's reaction to her presence. But after speaking to her for just a few minutes, his entire body, brain and spirit were engaged. She was captivating.

She asked him to go have coffee, and against his better judgment, he agreed. Surely if anyone saw him out with a student, his credibility would have been severely compromised. But he didn't care, he just wanted more of her.

He remembered walking her home that night, seeing her to the door of her apartment, smelling her perfume, kissing her on the cheek and wanting so much more. He tore himself away, even though she practically begged him to come in for a "nightcap."

When the parted two weeks later, he was smitten. But he could not bring himself to acknowledge his feelings, embarrassed by the fact that he was in love with a woman twenty years younger, he reasoned that he must just be having a mid-life crisis.

When he returned home to Vegas, he remembered trying to bury himself in his work. They kept in touch by email and phone calls. He remembered thinking that this had to stop before he couldn't walk away, but then Holly Gribbs died, and the only person he knew he could trust, other than Catherine, was Sara.

Catherine should have been the one to help him. But damned if he didn't believe she was involved with Warrick. She couldn't be impartial. He needed to have someone he could depend upon. Sara was it.

He remembered hearing her voice behind him while he was doing an experiment downtown. Her laugh sent chills down his spine.

Why had he waited so long? What was his hesitation? His mother had all but given up hope on him ever getting married or having kids. Until he came home from San Fran, she thought he might never find the right woman. But even she noticed a change in him when he returned.

Once she decided to move to Vegas, he tried to distance himself from her. He pushed her away. He intentionally dated other women to try and create distance between them.

But now, he knew that she had been right all along. They did belong together.

In the blink of an eye, his mind went to the last night, the passion, the electricity, the ultimate release of the sexual tension that had built up for so long.

And now, all he could think of was that he wanted more, and he would never stop wanting her.

He picked up the phone as a text messaged dropped in, breaking the sweet daydream he was having.

"I'm thinking about you." Was all it said.

He thought for a moment and then slowly, fumbling with each letter, typed "Ditto."

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Office Petty was a twenty-year veteran. He proved to be very forthcoming with his answers and he remembered each incident involving the three victims.

He said that each ticket was for aggressive driving and had been reported by the traffic helicopter that flew over downtown Vegas, keeping the on the ground police up to date with any situations that were building.

In each case, the man receiving the ticket had claimed to be innocent, and seemed to be oblivious to the fact that the cutting in an out of traffic at 30 miles per hour over the speed limit was against the law.

"Would you mind telling me where you were last night at about 8 pm?" Brass asked.

"No problem, I was in traffic court from 7 to 10 last night," Petty answered.

Sara and Greg looked at each other, disappointed that they hadn't solved the crime, but happy to have more information, and pretty sure they were now on the right track.

Once they were back in the Denali, Greg excited said, "Let's check the IP addresses of everyone who has been on that blog in the last week and see if we can cross references anyone who might have a reason to kill these people."

"Great idea Greg," she answered him as she started the engine, "But I do have to leave at 6, its pretty important."

"Why, hot date?" he asked, laughing, expecting a slug on the shoulder.

"As a matter of fact…." She answered, smiling slyly.

"Tell me!" he insisted.

"No."

"Come on Sara," he encouraged her, I want details."

"Nope."

"Sa-ra," he whined, "If you don't tell me, I'll assume it was that nice girl from the bar that Nick told us about!"

That brought the punch in the arm that he had been expecting.

"Just for that," she said, "Now I'm really not going to tell you!"

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	12. Chapter 12

_Chapter 12_

_Author's note: I don't own CSI but I do love to play with them! It's the sincerest form of flattery!_

How long until Greg figures this out?

Don't forget to hope on over to GSRFO and vote for your favorite GSR FanFiction of the year. We'd love to have you join!

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They sat at opposite computers, Greg getting the names from Archie's list of IP addresses that had accessed the blog about bad drivers. Name after name was run through AFIS without a single match.

Grissom entered the room quietly, standing behind the pair who were madly typing away trying to find a match.

"Any luck?" he asked, startling them both.

"Ah, no, not yet Grissom," Greg answered, "But I think we are on the right track, I just have a feeling…"

"Ok well keep working for now, but Sara, your time is limited. You have about 2 hours until you will have to leave. I want you to be well rested before you do your task force stint."

"Gil…" Ooops, she thought, God don't let Greg have heard that, "Grissom, I'm fine, I don't need any rest. Really."

"Doctor's orders, Sara," Grissom answered her, "You will have the weekend off and then start with the task force on Monday. I've already talked to Theresa Marks and she agrees that based on your instructor's passing, you will finish your instruction with Catherine over the weekend and report to her on Monday."

"Well I guess I can't argue with that, and since I'm already sitting at max on overtime, I guess I can take some time off."

She glanced at him, she caught a sly grin, clearly he had ulterior motives.

Shit, she thought, I know Greg saw that. She looked over and saw Greg's inquisitive look.

"Leave us alone Grissom," Sara said, "We have work to do!"

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About five minutes later, the silence was finally broken.

"It's Grissom, isn't it?" Greg finally got the nerve to ask.

"It's Grissom what?" she looked back, trying her best to appear innocent.

"Sara," he said, "Don't play stupid, that's so not your style."

"Greg," she smiled, trying to diffuse his curiosity, "When there is something to tell you, I promise, I'll tell you first."

"Damn, girl," he answered, smiling broadly, "I knew it. I was SO right!"

"Greg," she said abruptly, trying to get his immediate attention. "I have a match!"

"What? Oh, the blog, what do you have?"

"Ray Glass."

"Ok I don't get it."

"Ray Glass is the helicopter pilot for the LVPD," she revealed.

"Let's call Brass!" he said.

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Brass met Sara and Greg at the field office for the LVPD. They walked in and found the shift supervisor, David Legend. David, a senior officer with over 20 years on the force, welcomed them into his office.

"I just can't believe that Mutt could be a suspect in a crime. He's about the nicest person I know."

"Mutt?" Sara asked, "Is that his nickname?"

"Yeah, he's a big guy but he loves his dogs!" Legend explained. "He's got like 4 little dogs in his house. Ever since his wife died, they have been his life, so we call him Mutt."

"Well, when is "Mutt" going to back in?" Brass asked, clearly not amused by Legend's little story.

"Any time now," Legend answered, "Just listen for the sound of the chopper blades."

Within moments, the sound of chopper blades could be heard approaching the building.

Officer Glass was ushered into Legend's office within moments of the chopper landing. He looked at Brass, Greg and Sara and then back at Legend.

"Is there a problem?" he asked.

"No," Brass answered, "This is Sara Sidle and Greg Sanders from the Crime Lab. We wanted to ask you a few questions."

"Ok, no problem," he replied.

They proceeded to the meeting room and began the questioning.

"So Mutt," Brass asked, "Can I call you Mutt?"

"Sure," he answered, "Everyone does."

"Mutt," Brass continued, "Where were you last night at about 8pm?"

"At home," Mutt answered, matter-of-factly.

"Can anyone vouch for your whereabouts?" Brass asked.

"Sure, Jake, Cody, and Sunni," he said.

"How can we contact Jake, Cody, and Sunni?"

"They are at my house," Mutt answered, "They are my Yorkie, Bischon and Poodle."

"Well of course, you know that dogs can't vouch for you. How about someone human?"

"No, it was a nice quiet note at home, I watched some TV and then went to bed."

"Do you have any knowledge of the murder of Carlos Petty?"

"Just want I saw on the news," Mutt replied, "I don't keep up with that stuff."

After about 10 minutes of unsuccessful questioning, Mutt was released and the three investigators left the building.

Upon arriving back at CSI, they convened in the layout room.

Brass left, telling Greg and Sara that he was going to get a warrant to search Mutt's house.

Greg and Sara moved to the break room. Greg made a pot of his famous coffee and they sat down to enjoy the break in the action.

"So," Greg began, "You and Grissom huh?"

"Greg," she said sharply, "Don't say things like that, someone will hear you and start rumors, you know how this place is."

"Ok," Greg whispered, "So you and Grissom huh?"

"No, Greg," she whispered back, "me and no one."

"Sure," he replied, closing one eye tightly in an over-exaggerated wink.

"Greg," she scolded, "Don't be such a 12 year old."

"Hey, I'd tell you if I was seeing someone new," he continued, "Hey I do tell you everything, even if it doesn't make you jealous the way I want it to!"

"Greg," she changed her tone to a much softer, caring tone, "You know I love you sweetie, but I'm never going to be jealous of your girlfriends."

"Don't rub it in," Greg answered, pretending to be upset. "When will you ever get over your love of rugged, big men and date a skinny man who can love you the way you want to be loved?"

Saved by the ring of the phone, Sara took the call from Brass.

"Let's meet Brass at Mutt's house; we have a warrant."

"Are you changing the subject?"

"Absolutely, yes," she answered as she went towards the garage.

"You still didn't say what the deal was…." Greg called after her as he followed her out of the room.

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"So, do you think she is ready?" Grissom asked.

"Well, believe it or not," Catherine replied, "I have seen a change in her in the last two days that make me believe she can actually pull this off."

Grissom took the phone away from his ear and looked at it with a stunned look. Surely she didn't know. Sara wouldn't say anything. Could she just have guessed?

"I'm worried about her," he said, returning the phone to his ear.

"Grissom, she's one of the strongest, most independent women I've ever known," Catherine answered, "Let her do her job."

"I know, its just…"

"Gil," Catherine's tone changed, "I know, you don't have to tell me, I know. Just be there for her and everything will be fine."

He hung up the call.

She does know, he thought, how in the hell did she figure that out so quickly?

Please teach her well, Catherine, he thought to himself.

I don't think I can live without her.

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A/N If I haven't said it often enough… thanks for reading! I appreciate you taking this journey with me! And if you really want to make an author's day, please let a review and let me know! I see some new names on the "favorites" add list, I'd love to meet you!


	13. Chapter 13

_Chapter 13_

_Author's note: I don't own CSI but I do love to play with them! It's the sincerest form of flattery!_

A/N Many of you have taken the same point of view that I have – Greg and Catherine have known or suspected a relationship between G and S for quite some time. I kinda think Brass and Al probably knew too.

While enjoying the story, please remember, I write from an AU perspective. Although many parts of the story may fit with the timelines (historically), I usually take the characters to places that they did not go in the story lines, but could have.

So now, on to the story. Enjoy! And yes, there will be SMUT!

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Once inside Mutt's house, the investigators were struck by how much dog bric-a-brac littered every shelf and table in the living room. Yes there were typical family pictures, vacations of the past, with mom, dad, and son, but the pictures of the dogs outnumbered the family 3 to 1.

One dog did not match with the others who roamed the house. A white poodle. Pictures of the poodle were everywhere. She was dressed in a pink tutu in some of the photos, a jacket in others, and jeans in another. Several of the photos showed the dog sitting in the lap of a handsome woman. She may have been in her mid-40's at the time the photo was taken.

"Where is that dog?" Sara asked Mutt.

"She died about 5 years ago," Mutt answered, sadly, "She was traveling in the car with my wife when they were broadsided and both were killed instantly."

"I'm sorry for your loss," Sara said, the routine answer that they had been taught to offer. She realized how canned it sounded.

"Thanks," Mutt acknowledged her statement, "I still miss both of them."

"She looked like a very nice person," Greg commented, trying to ease the awkward moment.

"She was," Mutt responded, "Never met a stranger. Everyone loved her."

"That's incredibly sad," Greg observed.

Brass, Sara and Greg finished their evaluation of the home and found nothing that seemed out of place or indicated that Mutt had any involvement in the murders. They did take a log sheet in Mutt's handwriting. The log listed all of the arrests made with his help. It appeared to be a resume of sorts, perhaps to help him feel good about the work he was doing or, as Brass observed, it could have been a list of potential victims.

"I still like him for the murders," Brass said as they left the home, "He's a cop, he's hiding the evidence."

"I don't know," Sara answered him, "I just don't get the killer vibe off of him."

"Let's go check on his history," Greg suggested.

Sara checked her watch.

"That is going to have to wait Greg," she said, "its past my bedtime and the boss was pretty specific about my leaving on time."

"Yeah, true," he replied, "You have a big job ahead, and I want you to be on your toes and stay safe. I don't know what I would do without you!"

"Damn, Greg," she laughed, "I'm going on assignment, not dying!"

"I know," he shook his head, "I am just really worried about this whole serial killer thing. I know the task force is a big step for you, but this guy is vicious, and I'm worried about you."

"Ok, Grissom," she answered, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

"See, I knew it," Greg brightened, "He's crazy about you too isn't he?"

They opened their respective doors to the Denali and climbed in. Sara looked left, then right, then behind the seat, checking to make sure they were out of earshot from Jim Brass, and smiled.

"Ah, no, that's not what I said."

"You didn't have to say it," Greg smiled, "I never thought I'd be happy to have you dating someone other than me, but I'm so happy for you both."

"Greg," she cautioned, "I didn't tell you that, and I didn't confirm or deny…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," he winked, "You are not involved with your boss and neither of you will get fired for it."

"Shut up Greg," she laughed at the screwed up face he was making, "I need to get back before the boss gets upset with me."

"Yeah," Greg laughed, "He might do naughty things to you!"

"I can only hope!" she answered as they pulled away.

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The house back to himself, Mutt made a phone call.

"You gotta stop," he said, authoritatively, "the cops are on to you."

He listened intently and shook his head.

"No, they are not going to pin anything on me, but I'm sure they are investigating. You gotta stop."

He slammed the phone down.

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Sara pulled into her driveway, tired, but anxious for the next week to begin.

She pulled the door open, and grabbed her messenger bag, placing a file from her front seat into the bag. She beeped the lock and headed towards her apartment. She checked her cell phone – no calls.

I wonder why he hasn't called.

She unlocked the door and entered the apartment. It was cool and it felt calm. She had selected her colors to be calming and her furniture was comfortable and functional rather than formal and stuffy. She threw her keys into the bowl on the table in the hallway and slipped her shoes off. Her bag was shrugged off her shoulder and she went to the fridge to get a bottle of water.

Flicking on the tv, she sat on the soft, overstuffed sofa and surfed to the Discovery Channel, where the Mythbusters were trying to prove that an arrow couldn't split an apple.

She was about to doze off when a knock at the door startled her.

"Who is it?" she asked.

"If I tell you that," a male voice replied, "It won't be a surprise."

She quickly opened the door to reveal Gil Grissom, dressed in jeans and a polo shirt, holding a piece of paper in his hand. His smile was amazing. His blue eyes, danced with excitement.

"Hello handsome," she said, smiling broadly.

"Pack an overnight bag," he instructed her.

"Gil," she answered, "I'm so tired…"

"Ok, show me where your suitcase is, and I'll pack it for you."

"No, no, come on in, I'll do it. You can keep me company."

She grabbed his hand and led him to the bedroom. He hesitated at the threshold to the bedroom, but quickly followed her in. He sat on the bed and watched her while she retrieved a small case from the bottom of her closet.

"What should I bring as far as clothes are concerned Dr Grissom?" she asked, flirtily.

"Well," he considered his answer carefully, "My preference would be nothing at all…" he smiled, hoping she would catch his drift, "But I think a swimsuit, jeans, a t-shirt, a dress, some matching shoes and sneakers and a toothbrush?"

There was a pause.

"And that white costume."

She turned and looked at him, smiling sexily.

"Why would I bring that?" she asked him.

"So you can practice," he answered, blushing slightly at the thought of watching her in the sexy dress, moving in ways that he had only just learned that she could move.

"Gil," she laughed, "you have a dirty mind."

"You don't know the half of it," he whispered, as he grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him.

"Time out," he declared, "I thought I could wait, but I can't, I need you."

She sat down in his lap, feeling the tension rise between them. She leaned over and kissed him. He responded passionately, feeling his need for her growing with each moment.

They lay down on the bed, and as the kiss broke, they stared into each other's eyes.

"I'm the luckiest man alive," he whispered to her, "I can't believe you waited for me."

"Yes, you are lucky," she answered, kissing him gently on the lips and then moving to his neck, "I almost gave up on you."

"Oh," he replied as she moved down to his shoulders and began to unbutton his shirt, "I'm so glad you didn't."

She kissed him on his shoulder and moved down to his abdomen. She used her slim fingers to begin to remove his belt and unzip his jeans.

"You know, you should wear these jeans more often," she told him, "they look really sexy on you."

"I don't wear jeans to work."

"I know, all baggy business stuff," she teased, "no one will ever know what a nice ass you have if you keep that up." She stopped and thought for a moment, "On second thought, keep the jeans for off time."

"Sara," he answered, "I don't think anyone would…"

"Sh…." She whispered as she finally got the zipper down and began to move his pants to that she had clear access to him.

"Sara," he almost choked back her name as she began to use her lips to stimulate him even more than he was already aroused. "You don't have to…"

"Gilbert," she replied, "I want to, I like making you happy." She returned her attention to making him happy.

He laid his head back on the pillow and placed his hand on her shoulder. Women that he had dated before had never been so aggressive in bed. But he liked this. Her sexuality was one of the things that drew him to her. She was confident in who she was, what she wanted, and she knew how to satisfy both of them.

He felt her hands slide between his legs and massage areas that made him feel completely aroused and on the verge of climax. Her lips were soft and he could imagine the small gap in her teeth as she rubbed her lips and tongue over him.

"Sara," he gasped, "Stop, please. I want you."

"I'm right here,"

"No, I want to have you," he gasped, "please come to me."

She slipped off her jeans and shirt, and as she removed her bra, he gasped at the beauty of her body. She was slim, but well rounded. She had a stunning figure and every time he saw her breasts, he was struck by how perfectly shaped they were. He couldn't imagine being more aroused than he was before, but seeing her naked, standing before him, made him feel like he was going to explode.

"I don't have any…" he suddenly panicked, realizing he had left the condoms in the truck. He had no plans to sleep with her in the apartment. But he also had no plans of saying no when she began to make a pass at him.

"Gil," she answered, "I'm clean, I'm sure you are clean, and I'm on birth control, so unless you need …"

"No," he answered her as he lifted her off her feet and gently deposited her on the bed, "There's no need for that."

As he entered her, she felt all her efforts were worthwhile.

"Oh God Gil," she said quietly, reaching her hands over her head, allowing him full access to her body.

He took one of her breasts in his hand and began to gently massage her nipples.

"Lips," she instructed.

He kissed her breast and then slowly moved to her neck, alternating between kissing and gently sucking her skin, making her groan with anticipation.

"Now," she instructed him, helping him find the right angle to enter her for the climax.

They rocked with intense pleasure, his body positioned above hers, allowing him a full view of her face as she reached orgasm. God she was beautiful. More than any woman he had ever known, or any work of art he had ever seen, she was the most beautiful of all.

And with the beauty of Sara in front of him, he reached the most mind-blowing orgasm he ever had. He felt like every inch of his body and soul had been satisfied.

He collapsed on her, trying not to put his full weight on her, but not wanting to pull out yet. The closeness he felt at that moment was something he had never experienced. He wanted to stay inside her forever.

Moments later, she squirmed under him, "Gil?" she asked, "Gil, are you ok?"

"I'm awesome," he said, using one of her favorite words.

"I know you are awesome," she answered him, "But you gotta roll over a bit for me dear."

He knew he had to move. He rolled over, keeping contact as long as he could.

As she lay beside him, spent and satisfied, he touched her cheek and ran his hands down her long, slim torso.

"You are beautiful, Sara," he whispered into her ear.

She smiled and snuggled up next to him. He wrapped his arms around her, pulled the blanket up over their bodies, and placed his chin on top of her head.

And in silent reverie, they fell sound asleep. Probably the best sleep either had in ten years. They slept knowing that they were in the arms of the one who made the world right. And after dancing around the subject for so long, they knew that they had finally found their home.

Home, she thought as she drifted off. Home, its not a place, it's a feeling.

I get it now, she thought to herself, I finally understand what it means to be home.

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A/N OK I hope you liked that! More smut and more mystery to come! Stay tuned. And please, leave me a review if you are enjoying the story!

And don't forget – voting will be underway soon for the GSRFO Fiction Awards – I'd appreciate your votes if you enjoy my stories! If you aren't a member, its time to join – its free and fun, so come on over!


	14. Chapter 14

_Chapter 14_

_Author's note: I don't own CSI but I do love to play with them! It's the sincerest form of flattery!_

A/N So I have to say its been a really crappy week for me. But every time I retrieve a review on my cell phone, I feel so good. Please keep sending me your feedback! It means the world to me! And if you have joined us for the first time, please say hi! I'm trying to get back to responding to all reviews, but my dissertation chair is kicking my butt right now, so I am running behind! I hope you can forgive me!

To make it up to you, here is what you have been waiting for: Sara, Gil and the pole!

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Arriving at the seedy little hotel on the outskirts of Pahrump, Sara looked at Grissom with a raised eyebrow.

"What is this?" she asked, skeptically.

"You'll have to wait and see, my dear," he replied as he got out of the car, indicating that she should wait.

When he came back a few moments later, he had a key on a large ring and a huge grin on his face. She could see he was up to something because his grey blue eyes sparkled like a child on Christmas morning.

"What are you up to Gil?" she asked again.

"Shhhh…" he said, placing his finger on her lips.

He pulled the Mercedes around the back of the hotel and parked in front of the room labeled "Executive Suite."

Sara laughed. "Executive Suite my ass!" she choked out between the laughter.

He didn't seem to find the same humor as she did.

"Big things come in small packages," he reminded her.

He shut the engine off and walked around to her side of the car and opened the door for her. He put his hand out and helped her out of the vehicle and closed the door behind her. He placed his arm on the small of her back and gently directed her towards the Executive Suite.

When they reached the door, he removed his hand from her and used the oversized key to open the door. He looked in and turned on the light switch, leaned back out and smiled,  
>"After you my dear," he said as he made a grand sweeping gesture of his arm.<p>

When she entered the room, the first thing she noticed, other than the hot red carpeting, bed spread, and draperies, was the stripper pole in the middle of the room.

"How the hell did you manage to find this?" she asked, laughing again as she had when she first saw the sign on the door.

"Well, it helps that one of my best friends was a stripper," he laughed with her.

She hugged him around the waist, then planted a kiss on his cheek.

"You are the sweetest, kindest man I have ever known!" she announced, as she grabbed his face between her hands and planted a passionate, electric kiss on his lips.

"Don't get me started," he whispered, "I can't stop when it comes to you."

"Well then let's get it started," she whispered back, nibbling at his earlobe and pulling him towards the round bed with the mirror on the ceiling above it.

They fell to the bed only to have Sara suddenly jump back up.

"Ugh," she screeched, "It's filthy! Do you have an ALS in your car? I'm scared to death to even touch this thing!"

Grissom laughed out loud, he knew from working with her for all these years that hotel rooms were Sara's Achilles heel. He had anticipated the problem and had prepared the trunk of his car with anything needed to allow her to focus on her practice.

He smiled at her, "well that was better than a cold shower," he announced as he walked towards the door.

"Oh my God Gil, I'm soo sorry," she said, realizing that she had stopped in the middle of the romance.

"As a boy scout, I am always prepared," he laughed as he walked out the door and retrieved the supplies from the trunk.

"Bless you!" she lavished praise on him as he brought out bed sheets, pillow-cases, Lysol cleaning products, and sanitizing sprays. He also brought out a lavender candle.

"Let's get this place clean."

And they set to sanitizing so that the clean fun could begin.

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"You what?" Brass asked, choking on the beer Catherine had just given him.

"Yeah, you know the one in Pahrump, with the mirrored ceilings and stripper pole?"

"Oh my God, Catherine, you are pure evil!" he said, admiring her choice of torture for Grissom. 

"Sara is going to turn around and walk right out the door the minute she realizes how filthy that place is!" Brass chuckled.

"Part of the pleasure of the recommendation," Catherine laughed.

"I can just see the two of them walking in to that room." Brass continued, "Trying to pretend that they weren't wanting to jump into that bed right away."

He laughed again, but this time, he was the only one laughing.

"Catherine Willows," he blurted, "What are you hiding from me?"

"Uh, well, I just, uh," she was lost for words, "I just thought you, well, you would know that…"

"Damn," Brass sighed, "How did I miss it?"

"Now Jim, don't you dare tell anyone. I can't believe I just let the cat out of the bag!" she pleaded, knowing how much was at risk.

"I got your back, Cath," he answered, "I wouldn't know what to do without you around, and I'm not going to be able to do as good as you do following up after your boss."

"Now, let's drink to Dr Grissom finally getting his head out the microscope."

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Once the place was spotless, Grissom retrieved their overnight bags and her costume from the back seat of the car.

"Are you ready to show me what you have learned?" he asked.

"Are you asking that as my boss or as my boyfriend?" she replied, then stopped herself, "Boyfriend, that's a funny word for someone my age, isn't it?"

"It actually sounds pretty good to me," he answered, "so, show and tell time then?" 

She took off her jacket and walked to the pole. She took her hand and ran it up the pole, and looked at Gil, "Your sure you got this clean right?"

"Yes, Sara, I'm sure I got this clean," he reassured her.

She grabbed the pole and suddenly became someone he didn't know.

She wrapped herself around the pole, and began to move provocatively around the pole, moving her hips and legs in a way that made his heart sing. She wrapped a leg around the pole and swung herself around. She wound up on the other side of the pole, upside down, with her shirt struggling to stay tucked in to her pants.

"This is really tough to do in jeans!" she declared.

"Well then its time," he quietly stated, "to bring out the costume."

She walked to the bathroom, grabbing her purse, and proceeded to close the door behind her.

He laid across the bed, and glanced up at the mirrored ceiling.

His mind began to wander as he looked at the reflection in the mirror. Who would have ever thought that this would be me? How did I ever let her get away for so long? What was I so scared of? This is how my life was meant to be. With her. She's more than anything I could have ever dreamed of. And what does she see in me? I've got so much grey hair, and I'm not as thin as I used to be – why does she want to be with me?

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the bathroom door opening. She was dazzling. She was dressed in her white costume and was wearing the while the necklace that he had bought her. Her make up was exquisitely applied, including a hot red lip-gloss that made him yearn to taste her lips again.

He felt the temperature in the room go up and his pants shrink a size.

"You like?" she asked.

"I love," he answered.

He pulled out the tape recorder Catherine had given him and placed the tape in. He knew the sound would be awful, but it would at least give her the music she had been practicing with.

He pushed play.

"Have fun you two!" Catherine's voice stated.

The laugh broke the tension in the room.

The music began to play, a song he had not heard before, but a tune that was hot and steamy.

Sara approached the pole and began to dance. He was fascinated and intrigued by the sexual movements she demonstrated. Her face was very serious, but very sexy. He watched her every move carefully, and with great interest. Her hips were the perfect size for her slim frame and they moved in tune with the music. Her rhythm was perfect. Her breasts, small but firm and well shaped, bounced slightly as she moved around the pole. He could feel himself about to burst as he watched her elegant body move in time to the music.

As she began to remove pieces of the costume and fling them off into the middle of the room, he began to understand the attraction that people had to watching exotic dancers. It was sensual and moving, not dirty as he had previously thought.

He sat on the bed, frozen, until the music ended and Sara stood before him in what reminded him of a small white bikini.

"Well?" she asked, looking at him expectantly.

He didn't need to answer, because he closed the space between them quickly and grabbed her around the waist, lifting her and placing her gently on the bed. He kneeled above her, and with his sexiest bedroom voice, expressed how he felt at that moment.

"I am in awe of you Miss Sidle," he confided to her, "You are an unbelievable woman."

He kissed her neck, and moved his kisses down to her chest. He began to suck and lick her nipples as though he had never seen anything so beautiful before. He admired her body, laid out next to him, almost naked, sweating from the dancing, and breathing rapidly from the exercise and the excitement. He removed the remain clothing quickly and began to remove his shirt when he caught his reflection in the mirror.

"Why did you stop?" she asked, still breathless.

"I just, I don't understand why someone as sexy as you would be interested in an old man like me."

"I'm in love with you Gil, not because of anything physical, although I do love that part too, but because of who you are," she answered, helping him with the last buttons on the shirt and beginning to work on the belt, "You are handsome, strong, smart, and sexy, and I want you."

He helped her with the belt and removed the pants.

They wrapped themselves around each other, passionately touching and exploring each other's bodies.

This time, they made love. It was slow and enjoyable, not rushed as the previous encounters had been. They explored the private parts and began to learn what made the other crazy. He found that if he entered her from above, she was likely to make a slight moan and that if he kissed her neck, she was likely to move her head to give him full access to her long neck and breasts.

She rolled him on his back and assumed the top position. He was shocked by her aggressiveness. He had never had a woman be on top, and to be honest, he liked it a lot. He watched her in the mirror above and felt himself being taken to the point where he would not be able to control himself very soon.

She moved slowly, painfully slowly, rocking back and forth on him, allowing contact that he had not felt before. She had completely engulfed him and he felt the warmth and then her contractions as she hit her peak.

He watched her breasts rock gently as she went through the orgasm. He was proud that he was able to give her such pleasure. He was not a seasoned lover, but his experiences had been pleasant. None lived up to this.

He grabbed her by the waist and rolled her over onto her back. He reentered her, feeling the warmth of her previous orgasm, and began to drive himself to climax.

She moaned gently, encouraging him to continue to push, that she was ready to go again. And in a moment's time, they both exploded in an orgasm that could only be called earthshaking.

She wiggled out from under him, and laid out beside him on the bed. She looked up into the mirror and smile, knowing that she had everything she had ever wanted in this one man. They were perfect for each other in every way. She had known it all along, she just wished it hadn't taken quite so long for him to figure it out.

"That was mind-blowing," she told him, smiling.

"I couldn't have said it better myself," he answered, stroking her long brown hair, "I believe you have the stripper thing under control."

"I hope so," she answered, "I had a good teacher, and a man who makes me feel sexy, how could I loose?"

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A/N Was it good for you too? OK Now, I think I'm going to go have a shower!


	15. Chapter 15

_Chapter 15_

_Author's note: I don't own CSI but I do love to play with them! It's the sincerest form of flattery!_

A/N Can I ask you a favor? I was thinking about entering one of my stories into the FF of the year contest, but as a new writer, I wonder if any of them would be worthy of consideration. If you have read my previous work, please PM me and let me know if you think any of those stories could be worthy of consideration. You guys rock my world, so your opinions would mean the world to me!

Now, a little more history on Grissom and Sara – this time Sara's perspective.

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When she woke about 2 hours later, Sara was alone in bed. She looked around and realized that Grissom was in the bathroom. Her costume had been placed back on hangers and slid back into the plastic garment bag.

She reached over and grabbed his pillow. She breathed in his scent. Sweet and musky, just like she had imagined it would be.

She heard the water in the shower turn on and shivered at the thought of using the shower in the seedy hotel. All those germs.

She laid back and closed her eyes. So much had happened in the last week. Her dreams were coming true in a big way.

She thought back to San Francisco.

He was standing at her door, looking handsome and dapper in his "Professor" clothes. Hell he'd look handsome in anything, but in his suit and tie, he was stunning.

"Well, Dr. Grissom," she heard herself say, "Would you like to come in for a night cap?"

"Ms. Sidle," he smiled, "There is nothing I would like more, but I can't stay."

"Come on," she said, "No one needs to know."

"I will know."

She thought about this moment for so long, wondering if she had pushed a little harder, maybe grabbed him by the hand and dragged him to her bedroom, she would have been successful at getting him into her bed.

She smelled him again, this time, he leaned in to give her a kiss. Very chaste - on the cheek. But she turned her head and surprised him with a sensuous kiss on the lips. Startled, he began to draw back, but gave in and returned the kiss with passion and heat.

He pulled away.

"Sara," he said between heavy breaths, "I can't do this. You are far too young, and a student," he held her chin in his trembling fingers, "Being with you would mean giving up everything I have worked my whole life for."

"No one has to know but us," she said again, hoping a secret romance would be enough for now, "It is no one's business but ours."

"Au contraire," he responded, "In this community, there is no privacy, every teacher is under scrutiny."

She pouted. Had he realized how uncharacteristic this was for her, he would have laughed.

"Sara," he continued, "If there was ever a woman I would want to risk it for, it would be you. But I can't. Not now."

"I'll give you time Grissom," she whispered in his ear as she gave him a sexy hug, "I will wait for you."

"Goodnight Sara."

"Tomorrow?" she asked as he left her at her front door.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."

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Greg and Warrick continued to pour over the information gathered from Mutt's home. No real leads came up.

Warrick's phone rang; it was Nick.

"Yeah, what's up?" he asked.

The voice sounded very serious.

"Crap," he answered, tapping Greg on the arm, "We'll be right there."

"What's up?" Greg asked.

"We just got called in to the Three Jacks. Another dancer was murdered."

"I'll get my kit and meet you at the Denali."

As they drove towards the hotel, neither said anything. They both knew the danger Sara was about to put herself in. Both hoped she had not gotten in over her head.

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Grissom came out of the bathroom, smelling fresh and looking adorable with his curly hair still hanging damp around his ears.

"Do you want the shower?" he asked.

She looked at him, stunned.

"Um, no," she answered, "Have you ever processed a hotel bathroom Grissom?"

"I got it nice and clean for you," he smiled, "Even you couldn't find a germ in that shower!"

"Well, in that case," she agreed, "I could use a shower."

While she showered, he tidied the room and ordered room service.

By the time she re-entered the room, the food had arrived. He was pleasantly surprised that they had a nice bottle of wine available. He cleaned the glasses before pouring the wine. She smiled at how considerate he was.

"I ordered you a veggie burger," he told her, "I hope that will work for you. I need you to keep your strength up."

"Oh," she replied, loving what he was implying, "Do you have something planned for me?"

"Eat first," he answered, "Love later."

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Once they arrived at the room, Warrick and Greg were assigned to checking on the videos from the lobby and the corridors.

Nick came into the video room and leaned over Warrick's shoulder.

"Anything?"

"No," Warrick answered, "Nothing that jumps out at us yet. But we still have some film to review."

"Ok, well I'm leaving now, I have to go to meet Doc Robbins for the autopsy. Call me if anything comes up."

"Where's Grissom?" asked Greg, suddenly realizing that Nick had taken charge of the investigation.

"Believe it or not," Nick said, "He took the night off."

Greg snickered. Then he realized he had made a tactical error.

"What do you know?" Warrick asked Greg.

"Huh?" Greg replied, "What are you talking about?"

"What was that little laugh about?" Nick pressured.

"Um, it was a sneeze," Greg answered, "I'm catching a little cold."

"I think you are lying," Warrick announced.

"Nah," Nick answered, "He'd be acting more scared in this little room with the two of us here if he was hiding something."

"Yeah," Greg quickly agreed, "Why would I hide anything from you guys?"

Nick shrugged it off, realizing he had an appointment, and left them to finish the videos.

"No, really," Warrick said, once Nick left the room, "What do you know?"

Greg smiled. "Nothing, man, nothing at all."

He couldn't help but think to himself, not very observant for CSIs are they?

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A/N More on Thursday! Hope you are enjoying the story!


	16. Chapter 16

_Chapter 16_

_Author's note: I don't own CSI but I do love to play with them! It's the sincerest form of flattery!_

So sorry for the delay… a broken finger is not conducive to typing!

If you are on the GSRFO site and you are loving this story, please vote for this in the June July 2011 challenge! Thanks for your support!

SMUT ALERT WARNING. IT'S GOING TO GET DIRTY!

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"I'm glad he's still in here," Sara said, tapping on Grissom's chest.

He lifted his head from the Entomology Journal and gave her a puzzled look.

"Who?" he asked.

"The Gil Grissom I fell in love with."

"I've always been here." He protested.

"Not the same way, Gil," she replied, "I couldn't always see the man who liked to ride rollercoasters and play chess. I was afraid he had gone away."

"Sara," he began, "I was so afraid to let myself get involved with you. I knew the minute I let my guard down, I'd be done."

"I know, you've said that before," she answered, "But I'm so glad I finally broke down that wall."

"Me too." He kissed her head.

They were snuggled up on his big oversized leather sofa. Cuddly and warm under the soft blanket she had brought from her place.

"Now, let's discuss this whole undercover operation," he started.

"Gil Grissom," she scolded, "Nothing like putting a damper on a romantic moment!"

"Sara," he pleaded, "I've finally come to terms with my love for you, and I don't want to loose you now."

"Gil," she answered, "I know how much I love you, there never has been a doubt in my mind, but I also need to remove the doubt from my mind about my ability."

"I just don't understand this, Sara," he interrupted, "you are without a doubt, one of the greatest CSIs I have ever known."

"But Gil," she continued, "I didn't choose Vegas, Vegas chose me."

"You mean I chose to bring you here."

"No," she corrected, "It was my choice to come when you called. I was fine where I was, but I also promised you that I would give you all the time you needed. I thought you had made up your mind then you called."

"I had," he answered, "Until they made me supervisor."

"I know, I get it Gil," she reassured him, "But I didn't get to finish exploring what I wanted to do. I really seriously considered going with the FBI – I did have an offer from them you know – but I felt my heart was here with you."

He reached over, pulling her by the back of her neck to his face, indulging in a slow, simmering hot kiss.

"Sara," he whispered, "I will be beside you to accomplish anything you choose to do, but I reserve the right to worry about you."

"That I can understand."

She kissed him, fierce and hot, pulling him to his knees on top of her.

He really was not used to such aggressive women. But he liked it. No, scratch that, he loved it.

The fact that she was so self assured when it came to her needs and her sexuality made him even more excited than just being near her did.

He tried to move her off the couch and towards the bedroom, but she pulled him back.

"Sara," he pleaded, "I need you."

"I know," she answered, "But it doesn't have to be in the bedroom all the time, let's just do it here."

He looked shocked.

"Here?"

She pulled on his zipper, moving it slowly down and, with her other hand, pulling his shirt up.

She pushed him back down to a seated position on the couch, kneeling in front of him. She gently began to pull his penis out of the pants. He breathed in deeply. The excitement was almost unbearable.

"Sara," he whispered, wanting to tell her that she didn't have to do this, but from her approach, he felt that she almost wanted it as much as he did. He really was not used to this, but he could get used to it very quickly.

He thought back to the short list of women he had slept with over the years. None of them had been quite as good at fellatio as Sara. They had always made him feel guilty when it happened. But Sara was a partner in the truest sense of the word, and she indulged his fantasies in every possible way.

When he felt her lips surround him, he knew he could not hold on for a long time. Her breath on his very private places was erotic and unbelievable. He placed his hand on her head, the way she had showed him, and laid his head back on the couch. When he could take no more, he pulled her up towards him.

She took a position straddling him. He pulled her shirt off, allowing himself free access to her beautiful breasts. He took one in his mouth and rolled it between his lips and tongue. She breathed heavily. But as she began to thrust herself up and down on him, he felt that he was going to loose all control.

"Sara," he choked out, "I have no condoms here…"

"I'm safe," she replied, not wanting to stop the magic, "Depo."

"Are you sure?" he asked between heavy breaths.

"Make love to me, please, Gil, stop talking and make love to me."

His orgasm was the most explosive that he could remember. Letting her control the pace and position, giving all control over to her, was the most amazing, mind blowing, experience ever.

He kissed her, and pulled her down, snuggling her down on the couch, covering them both with the blankets.

"Do you think you would ever consider marriage?" he asked her, the thought coming out of no where.

"Gil," she answered, I just don't know. I know its important to you, but I don't think that in this day and age, people have to sign a document to prove their love."

"I know," he answered, but to me, it's the ultimate demonstration of love and affection."

"And by the way, my father is dead, so you won't be able to exchange my hand for a dowry."

They chuckled at her ancient reference.

"I won't say never," she said thoughtfully, "But I can't give you the answer you are looking for right now."

"It's my turn," he whispered, kissing her neck gently.

"For what?" she asked.

"To wait for you!"

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"Wait!" Mutt declared.

"No," the voice on the other end of the line called out, "And if you rat me out, I'll come and get you too!"

"I'm not scared of you."

"You should be," the voice answered, "You really should be."

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The night club was dark and smelled like stale tobacco.

Sara had donned her costume and was waiting for her turn to go onstage.

When her announcement came over the speakers, she took a deep breath and stepped out on the stage.

She moved slowly, steady, and self-confident. She remembered what Catherine had told her, and she licked her lips and made sure to move her hips the way Carlos had taught her. She moved sexily in time with the music, removing the clothing one item at a time, in time with the music.

She tried to ignore the wolf-calls from the audience and tried not to look at the mostly drunk men just beyond the footlights of the stage.

And then a shot rang out. She felt the pain begin in her abdomen and move to her chest. She felt herself fall to the floor and saw the blood begin to spread out over the white dress.

All she could think was that she was going to die wearing a thong. Oh no, how Doc Robbins and Dave would feel about her when they saw her body in the sexy panties.

The pain was overtaking her and she felt consciousness beginning to slip away. She looked out into the audience to see who had shot her, but she could not see anyone. She heard her father's voice, "Sara," he said, "Sara, what's wrong?" She looked up, only to see Heather Kessler standing over her, smiling and evil smile. Heather reached out and grabbed Sara's shoulders and began shaking her.

Then suddenly, she was awake and in Grissom's arms.

She grabbed him, breathing hard, tears rolling down her face.

"It was a dream Sara," he soothed her, "Just a bad dream."

She took a deep breath.

"There's something you don't know," she said, "Sometimes," she paused, not really wanting to reveal her deep secrets to anyone.

"Its ok dear," he coaxed her, "Whatever it is, we will work through it."

"I have bad nightmares," she admitted, "Its why I work so much, some times, I can go for days without sleeping."

"We'll work through it Sara," he promised, "Now come lay down with me, and I'll make you forget your dream."

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Ok now, please go vote for my story! I'd really appreciate it! Oh yeah, you got to go join GSRFO dot com to vote. Once you are there, send me a message!


	17. Chapter 17

_Chapter 17_

_Author's note: I don't own CSI but I do love to play with them! It's the sincerest form of flattery!_

OK Guys – sorry about the confusion, but I have a new GSR site for you! If you are interested in all things CSI and GSR, let's move over to:

CSI FOREVER ONLINE I can't post a link here, but I can send it to you in email if you can't find it with that title.

We will have all kinds of fun and information on all of your favorites – specifically Sara and Grissom. Send me a PM if you need an invite! I can't wait to see you there! Once you join, send me a friend request and let me know where you saw this! Looking forward to seeing you there!

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Sara approached the stage, took a deep breath, and waited for her name to be called.

"Now, from Beantown, our newest act, Ashley Fox, come on guys, let's give her a warm welcome!"

She stepped out into the spotlight.

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She had arrived in a small car that had been "acquired" by the task force team. She had assumed the identity of Ashley on the way in. She used the back door and entered the dressing room with the rest of the dancers.

Her makeup – applied by Catherine – was very heavy and sexy. After dressing, carefully so as not to smudge the eyeshadow onto the white costume, she looked in the mirror and adorned her neck with the beautiful white necklace Grissom had given her. She touched up her lipstick, put on her heels, and stepped backstage to wait for her call.

Once on the stage, Sara focused all of her thoughts on Grissom. She danced as if every man in the audience was Grissom. She was exceedingly convincing. He body, while slim, was well rounded in all the right places, and she was able to use her training to make the most of what she had.

She stepped up to the pole and used it to balance her on her heels. She hated heels. She wanted to just pull them off. She had learned to dance on them, but they still hurt her feet. How did Catherine wear these all the time?

She moved to the music, beginning to take off the top layer of the costume. She tried to make sure it landed where it could be easily retrieved by the stage-hand.

By the time she was down to the bikini-like under-costume, she had so many tips tucked into her straps that there was literally no room left for more.

It was a good night.

She knew that she was going to have to invest some time in this in order to draw out the killer. But it really wasn't that bad. She thought she would be revolted by the men in the audience, but much to her surprise, they had all been respectful to her, no groping, just a lot of leering. Wouldn't George have laughed?

George, the boyfriend she had throughout most of college, said she was sexually repressed. Proved him wrong.

It was, she decided, because of Grissom. He made her feel ok in her skin. Instead of feeling of being a hurt, lonely child, she knew she was a beautiful confident woman. It felt good. She knew she shouldn't let a man dictate her self-worth, but his unconditional acceptance of her gave her confidence she hadn't felt in years.

She bagged the costume, looking in the mirror to make sure she didn't look hideous from sweating, and noticed her necklace was still on. She decided that she didn't want to take it off, and it looked good with her jeans and white t-shirt, so she left it on. She pulled her hair up into a loose ponytail and grabbed the keys to the red Hyundai.

She knew that she was being watched. The task force had members hidden in plain sight throughout the club and the surrounding area.

No worries, she thought, as she slid into the car and put Bob Marley on to calm her nerves. I did it, she thought, I made it.

She pulled out of the parking lot, and as she drove up the alley that led to the talent entrance, past the back door of the club, she heard a click and felt the steel barrel of a gun in the back of her head.

"Keep driving, and don't try anything funny or I will blow your fucking head off," the deep, but slightly feminine voice, instructed her.

Her heart sank. She didn't see anyone from the task force in the alley. Of all the places to loose track of her!

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"What do you mean she didn't check in?" Grissom asked, feeling his heart sinking in his chest.

Brass had apparently just gotten the news too. He appeared in Grissom's office door, apparently agitated and ready to fight.

"Ok, let me know as soon as you hear something," he demanded as he clicked the phone closed.

"So, you heard?" he asked Brass

"Yeah, I heard."

"So what do we do now?" he continued.

"We wait." Brass instructed, "The task force is ready to move and they will get her."

"Well," Grissom said, "I am not going to sit here and wait, I have my own way of taking care of this."

Brass raised his eyebrow, "ESP?" he asked.

"No," Grissom replied on the way out the door, "SPS."

Brass followed him, mulling over in his mind what that acronym might mean. Its Grissom, he thought to himself, who knows what he is thinking?

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"Where's Archie?" Grissom asked, bursting into the layout room.

"He's at lunch," Greg answered.

"Call him back, NOW" Grissom demanded.

"You got it boss," he said as he began to dial the AV tech.

"What's up Grissom?" Nick asked.

"Sara has disappeared." Grissom said, "No one has any other cases until she is found."

Brass stepped over close to where Grissom stood. "We'll find her Gil, she will be find, and we will find her."

"I know," Grissom answered, "I know."

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When she awoke, she found she was tied, spread-eagled, to a four post bed. She had no idea how she had gotten there.

Her head was splitting from the butt of the gun being used to knock her out. She felt faint taste of chloroform on her tongue.

Well, she thought, how am I going to get out of this?

She assessed the situation. She seemed to be alone in the room. Apparently a hotel room. She looked down and realized that she had only her underwear on. She had changed into her regular thong and VS bra. Thank God she didn't get herself stuck in this situation with her costume on.

She pulled on the knots of the rope. Her heart sank as she realized that this was not another one of her nightmares. This was real.

The knots were firm, but she felt that if she had some time, she could possibly get them untied.

She stopped cold when she heard the door begin to unlock.

"Its about time you woke up!" a familiar voice said, "Its time for us to have a little fun."

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Now, here's the deal – if you want her rescued and some more wonderful smutty sex with Grissom, leave me a review! Yes, I know its blackmail, but heck, it's a crime story!


	18. Chapter 18

_Chapter 18_

_Author's note: I don't own CSI but I do love to play with them! It's the sincerest form of flattery!_

.com/#fbid=9VO6KYNaFum

Come join us for fun and games all focused on CSI!

WARNING – This chapter contains some pretty suggestive material – including F/F foreplay and forced sexual contact (not rape). Please read only if you do not find this offensive. I am making no judgment on any lifestyle. This is simply a character in a work of fiction.

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Sara looked up at the door and realized she knew the woman who entered the hotel room.

Jackie, from the club.

Oh Shit, she thought. This can't be good.

"Well," Jackie began, " I guess you remember me!"

"Of course," Sara answered her, "From the club."

"Well, I thought you were pretty that night," Jackie said, "But right now, laying there are hot and naked, man I swear, you are gorgeous."

"I'm really quite plain," Sara answered, trying to downplay the sexuality that she had recently rediscovered.

"No," Jackie corrected her, "You are beautiful, and I definitely will hate killing you when we are done."

Sara went cold.

"Don't look so surprised," Jackie spoke clearly and coldly, "I know you are a cop, I know your friend was a cop, and I know you are undercover trying to find me. But you know what, they won't find me, because they think I'm a man. HA!"

Sara's mind scrambled to find a way out of this predicament.

"Now, let me see those beautiful breasts," Jackie said as she approached Sara with a sharp, shiny knife in her hands. She used the knife to cut Sara's bra at the center, and then used the tip of the knife to push the bra cups off Sara's breasts.

"Beau-tiful," Jackie sighed as she used her rough hands to massage the exposed and cold nipples.

Sara fought against the contact, but she was tied tight enough to impede any escape from this assault.

Jackie stopped and smiled. "Don't fight it, Sara, get in touch with your feelings. You might as well enjoy this because it is going to be your last time!" Jackie flipped the knife closed and slid it into her back pocket.

Jackie climbed onto the bed and began sucking Sara's nipples. She felt them harden under her breath and she laughed when Sara struggled to try and get away.

"Oh, baby girl, fight it at all you want, it just makes me want you more."

Sara got a sharp scream out – "HELP!" she yelled.

Jackie drew the knife back out of her pocket, flicked the blade open, and place the sharp point against Sara's neck. "Do that again, and I'll end it now. Understand?"

Sara nodded.

Jackie reached over into the drawer of the nightstand beside the bed, pulling out a vibrator, a butt plug and some lubricant.

Sara began to panic. She could see where this was going, and it was not looking very good.

"Don't worry," Jackie instructed her, "It's not going to hurt – much."

Sara quickly got her mind wrapped around the situation and realized that she was going to have to talk her way out of this one.

"You know, you really don't have to tie me up for this." Sara couldn't believe she heard her own voice saying this.

"Oh, so you like it with girls then?" Jackie asked.

"Oh yes," Sara lied, "I actually had a girlfriend in college."

Jackie sat back, shocked. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

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Theresa Marks appeared in the doorway of the AV room where Brass, Grissom, Nick, Warrick, Greg, and Brass stood watching something on an image projected from the computer to the screen on the wall.

It appeared to be a flashing light.

"Why aren't you out there trying to help us find her?" Marks demanded.

"Because in exactly 1 min and 30 seconds, we will have her exact location," Grissom answered her.

Marks took her position between the other investigators and held her breath.

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"The four aces motel on the outskirts of town," Archie said.

Grissom raced out of the room, followed by Brass and the other investigators.

Marks looked at Archie, puzzled. "How did you find her?" she asked.

"It wasn't me," Archie answered, "It was Grissom's SPS."

"SPS?" Theresa asked, "I've heard of Global Positioning Satellites, GPS, but never an SPS."

"Sara Protection Service," Archie chuckled, figuring that the rumors were true, "He put a GPS tracker in a necklace and gave it to her before she began the assignment. He figured that way if anything happened, he'd be able to find her."

"Damn," Theresa swore, "That's good."

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Sara continued to try and engage her captor in conversation.

"So, you said you know I'm a cop," Sara said as Jackie returned from the bathroom with a beer.

"Of course I do," Jackie answered her, "You and that guy."

"Why do you say that?"

"Don't try and play games with me," Jackie instructed, "I'm ready now and you better get your head ready, because once I'm done, so are you."

"Why do you want to kill me?" Sara asked.

Jackie looked at her, this time getting frustrated by the woman's ability to want to talk to her about the situation.

Jackie grabbed a facecloth out of the bathroom and placed it in Sara's mouth.

"Now, that should shut you up!" Jackie laughed, sipping the beer, and rubbing lubricant up and down the shaft of the vibrator. "She pulled the knife back out of her pocket and slowly sliced the panties in half, removing them one piece at a time from Sara's body.

Jackie stepped back, admiring Sara's physique, and planning how she wanted to take her.

She approached the bed and began to pour lubricant on Sara's stomach. She poured the slimly liquid slowly, enjoying every moment of the act.

"Don't worry," she instructed Sara, "This is the fun part, you will really enjoy this."

Sara shook her head, trying to get a word out, but failing.

Jackie pulled out the vibrator and again began to rub it up and down with the lube. But she quickly dropped the device when she heard screeching tires on the pavement outside the hotel.

"Shit," she yelled, struggling to find the knife that had just slipped out of her pocket. She reached to the floor to grab it, but realized that the footsteps on the stairwell were getting too close.

"This isn't over, Sara," Jackie promised her as she popped open the small bathroom window and slipped out.

"LVPD, OPEN THE DOOR," Sara heard Brass' voice.

The door was quickly kicked down, and, much to her relief, the first face she saw was Gil Grissom.

He quickly assessed the situation and grabbed the cloth out of her mouth, covering her naked body quickly with a blanket to protect her modesty.

"Brass," he yelled, "No one comes in here without my permission."

"You got it," Brass answered, "Is she ok? Did we get here in time?"

"She's fine," he answered, and then looking at her asked "You are fine aren't you?"

"I've been better," she answered, "But now that you are here, I know I'll be ok."

"Where did the creep get to?" Grissom asked.

"She went out the window," Sara answered.

"Did you say she?" Grissom clarified.

"Yes, I can describe her," Sara answered.

"Brass," Grissom called, "You'd better get Theresa Marks on the phone and get in here quickly!"

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A/N So I did not leave you with a cliff hanger and I did not hurt Sara. I kept my promises! About two chapters left, so please leave me a review and let me know how I'm doing!

Thank you so much to all of you who have been sending such kind reviews. I'm so glad to know you are enjoying the story.


	19. Chapter 19

_Chapter 20_

_Author's note: I don't own CSI but I do love to play with them! It's the sincerest form of flattery!_

Well hello! I'm back from my class in VA and ready to finish this one up. I hope you are enjoying. I'm going to Jan-land for the finale. If you like romance, you will love this one! And a new story will be starting soon! Will have an entry for CSIFO dot com September challenge and then on to the story that's been rolling around in my head. But it will be hot… promise! So here we go, I'd say two or three chapters until the end!

Sorry for the confusion in the chapter numbers. I'm not sure how it got all messed up! Suffice it to say, they are all here! :o)

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After the obligatory photos were taken, by Grissom of course, he gently untied her hands and feet, wrapped her in a blanket and scooped her up.

"Really", she protested, "I can walk".

He would not hear of it.

He walked her past the crowd of officers, referring them to Brass if they had any issues, and gently placed her in the Denali.

He stood at her side, grabbed her hands gently and calmly gave her a choice.

"You are going to the hospital. I can either put you in the waiting ambulance or I can take you myself, but I will not hear anything else about it."

She nodded her head, too tired to argue.

"With you please."

He strapped the seatbelt around her, and drove to the hospital.

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Check in was expedited due to the circumstances, and a private room, away from the usual triage and ER was made available immediately. Dr Griffin saw her right after her vitals had been taken.

"Do you want me to leave?" Grissom asked her quietly. He knew how she felt about hospitals and Doctors, and didn't want her to be alone right now. She grabbed his hand and held it with all her might.

Dr Griffin determined that there were no major injuries, but wanted to do a rape kit just in case.

"Miss Sidle", he argued when she protested, "By your own admission, you were knocked out for part of the time you were being held, so let's be safe."

She looked at Grissom, who simply nodded in agreement.

He stayed with her the entire time. Dr Griffin completely understood and made the exam as quick as possible.

Dr Griffin decided it would be in Sara's best interest to keep her overnight for observation. He gave her a sedative, and within moments she was asleep. He looked at her, resting peacefully for once. His heart filled at once with pain and love. He had just gotten his head out of his ass and he almost lost her.

This was never going to happen again.

He looked at the nurse who had been assigned to her, and let her know he was going to step out for a moment and make some arrangements.

She nodded, "I'll stay here with her in case she wakes up."

He stepped out to the waiting room and reached for the remote to turn the volume down on the tv.

But when he saw the face of his friend Jim Brass being interviewed, he stopped cold.

"As I said", he instantly recognized Brass's media voice, "Both the drive by killer and the serial rapist have been either apprehended or killed this evening."

Grissom scratched his head. What the heck?

The news reporter broke off to roll film of the events of the evening. The station's helicopter had picked up the chase when Nick's call went out. Jackie Harris had taken flight in Sara's rental car. Several police cars had joined the pursuit but Jackie had a few minutes head start. However, it didn't take long to identify the car moving rapidly down the strip towards the highway. Soon, what seemed like the entire department was on high alert.

They were not the only ones on the prowl. The drive by killer had also seen the car speeding down the strip, and decided this driver needed a lesson.

Without Jackie ever noticing, the car pulled up alongside her, the driver aimed his gun and with one extremely accurate shot, the chase ended with Jackie's car crashing in to the front wall of the 7-11.

The police officer that had been in the store to get some coffee immediately gave chase to the second vehicle, and, with the help of another cruiser, the suspect was taken into custody.

The cut was back to Brass. "CSI will be very busy this evening with three scenes to process. We are asking for the public's cooperation by staying clear of these areas until the investigations can be completed."

"Who was the second driver?" the reporter asked.

"We are not discussing that yet, pending further investigation".

Grissom immediately picked up the phone and dialed Brass.

"No", Brass answered, "Everyone is fine, no we don't need your help, no, stay with Sara".

A pause.

"Yes, just give me a couple hours. Yes, I'll get her too".

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Warrick and Greg were in charge of processing the evidence of the drive by shooter. They had been challenged by the lack of evidence all along, so they were thrilled to be able to put the evidence together and get some answers for those who lost loved ones.

Nick and Angela, a CSI from the day shift, processed the hotel room. The room was quite easy to process, as it appeared that Jackie had not completely unpacked her bag of devices. When they went through the bag, they were surprised to discover a condom with what appeared to be semen in it.

The puzzle began to fall into place. Jackie had misled the entire LVPD by raping her victims with a vibrator or another type of object and then inserted semen into the vaginal cavity to give the impression that the attacker was a man.

They collected all of the evidence and returned to the lab to begin to process. Not a lot of processing would be needed. Once the prints and DNA were matched to the dead woman, they would be able to move on and assist with the second crime scene of the day.

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We're almost done! Where is this going? Hmmm…. More tomorrow!


	20. Chapter 20

_Chapter 20ish_

_Author's note: I don't own CSI but I do love to play with them! It's the sincerest form of flattery!_

There will be smut in the near future – but for now, romance. And remember, its my story, I can make things happen! I hope you enjoy! And don't forget, I love to hear from you! Send me a review!

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When she awoke five hours later, Grissom was still by her side, holding her hand.

"How long was I out?" She asked

"Only about five hours."

"Wow, it seems like it was just a minute ago."

"How's your head feeling?"

"It's good right now. Still a little dazed I guess."

"Do you think you can answer a question for me?" he asked, suddenly looking very serious.

"Sure," she smiled. "For you, anything."

"Marry me."

"Huh?"

"Marry me. I've screwed around so long and then I almost lost you. Marry me. Let's make this a life together."

"Yes."

He was prepared to argue the point with her and continued speaking before the yes hit his brain.

"I know it's sudden, but it's not really...what?"

"Yes."

He leaned over and kissed her. Her toes tingled. They often did when he kissed her like that.

"While I was laying on that bed thinking I was done for, all I could think about was how we were never going to get the chance to grow old together. I love you Gilbert, I always have. I never thought I'd ever want to marry anyone, but I never thought I would find someone who completes me the way you do."

He smiled, those blue eyes shining, fighting back tears that he knew wild soon come.

"When we've been apart, I've always known that I belonged with you. You are my heart."

The tears finally broke and she reached up to wipe them away the way he had done when she had broken down and cried.

"I love you. You complete me. I'm an old fool...I should have never let this nonsense go on for so long. But I am ready to make up for lost time...to make it up to you for the rest of our lives."

It was her turn to fight back the tears.

"When do you want to do it?" He asked.

"Whenever. The sooner the better."

"I was kinda hoping you might say that," he said as he walked to the door of the room.

Smiling, Jim Brass walked in, followed by Catherine, limping in on her crutches. And behind them, Father Tanner from Grissom's mothers church.

"Will now work out for you?"

After the hugging and congratulating was done, they took their respective spots to the left and right of the bride and groom.

The service was short and sweet.

The rings Grissom bought were simple and understated. He wanted to buy her a huge diamond, but he knew that she did not want anything like that. They could choose one together later. There would be plenty of time for that when she was better.

"Ecklie's going to shit a brick," Catherine laughed. "He can't do anything about a married couple working together!"

"Let's have a big party," Jim suggested.

Catherine, the epitome of party girl quickly agreed.

It was decided they would celebrate at Catherine's and would invite all of the team to help wish the couple well. They knew everyone would be excited and thrilled that these two star crossed lovers had finally recognized what everyone else knew. They were made for each other.

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Warrick was also at the hospital that afternoon. He had an appointment to meet Brass to question the drive by suspect. He knew Brass had stepped out for a personal reason, but was still surprised to meet him in the hallway.

"What's with the grin Brass?" he inquired.

"You'd have to ask Mrs. Grissom," Brass responded.

"Oh is Grissom's mom here? I haven't seen her in years!"

"No, his wife."

Warrick looked stunned for a second and then bounced back...

"Sara?" Warrick asked.

"Yup." Brass couldn't take the grin off his face.

"Daaaaaaamn."

"What's the matter? I thought you'd be happy for them." Brass asked.

"Oh, I'm extremely happy for them," Warrick said, "But I just lost $100 to Greggo."

"Crap," Brass said, realizing that his date had been about a month down the road.

"Well I hope he's going to get them a nice gift with all that money!" Brass added.

"Hell no, he's going to need it pay for therapy once he realizes that Sara is permanently off the market," Warrick joked. It was funny but probably at least slightly true.

The chuckled. It was a comfortable friendship they had made. Considering how much they disliked each other when they met, they had come along way.

"Let's go see a man about a car."

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Back in the room, Catherine made her excuses, and with the help of a kind nurse, was wheeled downstairs to wait for Lilly to pick her up.

The newlyweds were finally alone.

"I don't know how you pulled that off, she said twirling her new ring on her finger. But I'm glad you did."

He sat beside her on the bed.

"I can't wait to take you on a honeymoon."

She laughed.

"Where are we going Dr Grissom?" she asked.

"Wherever you want to go, Mrs Grissom," and he kissed her hand.

"I've always wanted to see the rainforest," she suggested, "but that would be outrageously expensive. But we could save up and go in a year or so."

"Oh, didn't I tell you?" He looked at her, smiling a devilish grin. I have more than enough money to keep us both comfortable for a while."

She looked at him with a shocked expression.

"Don't judge me by the car I drive, Mrs. Grissom. I've never had anyone to enjoy it with, so the money hasn't meant anything other than a means to an end. I wear good clothes and the condo is paid for. Mom is financially independent and I have no children or ex-wives, so really, what would I do but save."

"Paris." She said, "I've always wanted to see the Louvre."

"Your wish is my command. I will speak with Ecklie today and let him know that you and will be on vacation as soon as you are up to it, and then when he thinks he caught me, I'll spring the news on him."

Sitting next to her on the hospital bed, he wrapped his arm around her neck, and pulled her in to his warm embrace.

"Sleep now, Sara dear. We have our whole lives ahead of us to make plans."

Within five minutes, Dr Griffin had arrived to do some follow up with Sara, only to find four nurses standing at the door, whispering and wiping away tears.

"What's going on here ladies?" He asked

He was quickly briefed on the afternoon's events and, when he peeked in to see the couple sound asleep, content in just being together, he also grabbed a tissue.

Quietly, the staff arranged for a nice dinner to be delivered. They also brought a bottle of apple cider in place of champagne and two plastic glasses.

After dinner, Grissom called Ecklie and arranged for a meeting before Ecklie left for the day. Ecklie claimed that he was very busy, but would squeeze him in.

Grissom had never looked forward to any meeting with Ecklie as much as he was looking forward to this meeting.

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Brass and Warrick stood by Jeff Glass's bedside. One handcuff was chained to the metal rails of the bed. They recognized the man known to them as Mutt sitting nearby. Jeff was asleep. Brass looked at Mutt and nodded.

"Is this the same kid in the photos in your house?" Brass asked.

"Yup," he answered, "my son."

"Do you know what happened?" Brass asked.

"Yes, I tried to get him to stop as soon as I realized what was happening. I told him I was going to turn him in, and he promised he would stop. But he's sick. Since his mom died, he hasn't been right. I took him to a shrink, he's been on medication, but nothing is working."

"Why didn't you turn him in?" Warrick asked.

"He's had such a hard life. I just thought if I tried to get him to stop, I could get him to turn himself in and get the help he needs. I figured it would look better for him if he came in on his own." Mutt studied his own shoes and shook his head sadly.

"We need to wake him up...we have questions." Brass instructed.

"He's sedated. The Dr said he had a breakdown in the ambulance on the way. I don't know how long he will be out for."

"Did he ever tell you why he did it?"

"Oh yeah, that's an easy one." Mutt looked up, eyes filling with tears, "The driver that killed his mother was a hit and run reckless driver. When Jeff found the blog with the lists of tickets for reckless driving, he decided to take a stand and punish the offenders himself. He said he never wanted anyone to go through what he had gone through."

Brass and Warrick left the room, realizing that Jeff Glass was a truly disturbed individual that was going to get the help he desperately needed while he did his time.

"At least the city streets are safe for our drivers," Brass commented.

"You're kidding right?" Warrick laughed, "Where have you been driving?"

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Two more chapters. Smut will be on the menu. The better the reviews = the better the smut. Ah, yes bribery! And if you are on CSIFO dot com, I'd appreciate your vote!


	21. Chapter 21

_Chapter 22_

_Author's note: I don't own CSI but I do love to play with them! It's the sincerest form of flattery!_

I've been working it over and over, trying to imagine the conversation between Ecklie and Grissom would sound like. Finally, I think I captured it. I hope you enjoy the conversation!

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"You look like hell, Gil," Conrad Ecklie bluntly said to his old colleague.

"I've never felt better," Gil tersely answered, "But thanks for reminding me."

"Well, you said it was important," Ecklie continued, making quick work of the niceties and moving directly into the reason for the meeting.

"I have a request here for time off – two weeks specifically – for myself and Sara upon her release from Doctor's care."

"Gil," Ecklie rubbed his balding head, "You do realize that if you do this, your little secret will be out of the bag right?"

"What little secret is that Conrad?" Gil asked, laying the bait.

"About you and your 'girlfriend'." That last word was said very sarcastically. "You know, if you are fraternizing with an employee, I won't be able to protect you!"

Grissom chuckled to himself, he knew that was the last thing on Ecklie's mind.

"Well," Grissom answered, "No need for you to protect anyone, Conrad, Sara and I have married and we will be honeymooning during that time."

Ecklie sat behind his desk, stunned. He had no idea what to say.

"Pick your chin up off your desk, Conrad, and sign the papers," Grissom insisted, "I have hundreds of hours on the books, as does my wife."

"Ok, well, uhm, congratulations Gil, I am really very happy for you. And yes, I will approve the time, I assume Catherine will take over for you?"

"Yes," Grissom answered, "She will be back on limited duty soon, and she will be able to supervise from the office."

"How long until Sidle, I mean, well, is she going to remain Sidle or change to Grissom?" he asked.

"I don't know yet."

"Ok well how long will Sara be off?" Ecklie continued his original question.

"According to Dr Griffin, she will need to be off for about a week, she will have some psychological evaluation and should be fine to go back to work. Right after the honeymoon of course."

"Of course, Gil. So you know we will have to discuss how this changes your team when you get back."

"No, Conrad," Grissom smiled, "I've already spoken to the Sherriff who agreed that nothing changes, except that Catherine, as assistant supervisor, will take over Sara's evaluations."

"Oh, I see," Conrad Ecklie grimaced. He had, yet again, been outsmarted by Grissom. He was sure that the Sherriff would have preferred Grissom to him for the lab directorship, but Grissom did not want to move forward in his career. Grissom very seldom used his relationship with the Sherriff for his own purposes, but when it came to his team, and when he knew that Conrad was going to be an ass, he used his connections. He had often been accused of not being very political. But Grissom thought of himself as adept when he needed to be.

But now, he had a wife to worry about. He needed to be sure that his decisions did not have a negative impact on Sara. Conrad could be very vindictive, and he never really liked Sara, so he would have to be careful how he proceeded.

Conrad, knowing he'd been trumped, signed the papers and handed them back to Grissom. He still could not understand why Sara had decided to get involved with Grissom. After all, Ecklie had asked her out several times, why would she pick Grissom? Oh well, her loss.

"Well, Good luck to you Gil, I really wish you and Sara all the best together. Please make sure you get all of the paperwork done in human resources."

"Thank you Conrad, I appreciate your sentiments and thank you for meeting with me tonight."

Gil stood up and left Conrad's office.

As he walked away, Conrad Ecklie sighed and wished that he had a younger, beautiful wife waiting for him to come home.

That ship had already sailed.

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"So what I really want to know is how did you guys find me so quickly?"

"Well, it was really pretty easy," Nick Stokes took a deep breath. Sitting beside his friend Sara in her hospital bed, wondering exactly how much she knew and how much he should say to avoid getting in trouble with the boss. "Let's just say there were a couple tracking devices."

"So no one trusted me to be able to do the job?" she asked.

At least she is feeling better, she's getting feisty again.

"Everyone trusted you Sara," he explained, "It's the perp that we didn't trust."

"Et tu? Nicky." She responded, her brown eyes flashing.

He reached out to grab her hand.

Startled, he pulled his hand back.

"When did you get married?" he asked.

"Earlier today."

"What?" he asked, sounding surprised. "But who?"

"Let's just say, you know my husband pretty well," she smiled from ear to ear.

"Grissom?" he asked.

She grinned again.

"You go girl!" he said, genuinely happy for his friend.

But then he realized that they must have been seeing each other behind the teams' back for a while if they married.

"How long…" he began to try and form the question, "have you been together?"

"Honestly Nick," she chose her words carefully, "We have only been together-together for a couple weeks. But we've been involved for years."

He looked puzzled.

"Ever since we met in San Fransisco, before I came to Vegas, we have had a relationship."

"Wow, I'd never know," he answered.

"Really, the only one who ever caught on to it was Greg. And Brass in the last little bit," she responded, "But we've tried to keep each other at arm's distance because of the stigma that would be attached if it was revealed at work."

"That's got to suck," he thoughtfully added, "But what about Hank?"

"Well, we had decided that the relationship wasn't going anywhere, we were fighting a lot, and we decided to give it a rest." She began to explain. "But when it came to light what Hank had been doing, Gil was right back in my corner, being my knight in shining armor and making me feel good about myself again."

"So what brought on the jump into marriage?" he asked.

"Well, it seems that just after we went to the bar and you guys were making fun of me for that person hitting on me, I got mad at him and told him I was taking some time away. That seemed to be what he needed, because he grabbed my arm, and pulled me in to an intense kiss. One like he had done those years before in San Francisco."

He smiled. He genuinely was happy for both of his friends.

"I guess once we jumped in with both feet, we knew it was right, so there was no need to dance around it any more."

"I'm happy for you both. I'm really happy for you both. And I hope to be uncle Nick soon!"

She gave him her classic Sidle-slug to the arm but followed it by a warm hug.

"Now," he grinned, "Do I get to break the news to Gregg-o?"

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I hope you enjoyed. Wrapping up with one more chapter before Friday. I PROMISE 100% FORECAST FOR SMUT!

And please, if you have been reading along, or if you just found this story, send me a review. It really does mean a lot!


	22. Chapter 22

_Chapter 23_

_Author's note: I don't own CSI but I do love to play with them! It's the sincerest form of flattery!_

OK I lied, I can't finish this in one chapter. One more will follow this… by Sunday…I hope you enjoy! Please be sure to leave me a review! I love to hear from you. I'm all about happy endings… I hope you are too!

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Their suite in Paris was stunning. The view of the Eiffel Tower was stunning. They spent two weeks enjoying the sights and immersing themselves in the culture. They ate at the best restaurants, enjoyed all of the museums that could be fit in to a short stay, and made love whenever the spirit moved them. It was, after all, France.

On a trip up the Eiffel Tower, Sara felt anxious, and she grabbed Gil's hand. He immediately responded by putting his arm around her shoulder.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

"I'm fine." That was her answer. It was the answer that she gave when she didn't want to reveal what was bothering her. He was worried. She still was not sleeping through the night. He tried to get her to speak about what she had gone through, but to no avail. She was strong, mentally and physically. She would not reveal more than she was comfortable with.

After a hearty meal, they retreated to the balcony to watch the evening set in. The moon came up over the building across the river and set itself in the cool, grey sky. It was stunning. They sat quietly, enjoying the sounds of the city and each other's company.

They had discovered that they didn't have to talk to be comfortable. Gil, for the most part, just wanted to stare at Sara. Every time he saw her beautiful face, he felt that he would fall just a little more in love with her. Her strength, her courage, her independence, all made realize that she was the only woman who would ever capture his heart.

"Would you like a brandy?" he asked, breaking the silence.

"Yes, that would be nice," she answered. She didn't drink much any more, but every now and then, a nightcap was enjoyable. Especially when served by a handsome man with stunning blue eyes, beautifully muscled legs and arms, and sexy graying curly hair.

She stepped off the balcony and back into the bedroom, receiving the glass of brandy from the gorgeous man of her dreams. She snuggled up to him, finding security in his broad chest and warm arms. She knew that she was safe with him. For once in her life.

She was safe.

"I'm ready to talk," she ventured.

"Then I'm ready to listen dear," he answered. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to the

small sofa, sitting directly beside her, making sure she knew she had his full attention.

"I have been scared many times in my life, Gil," she said, fighting back the tears.

"You have faced some tough times love, but you are incredibly strong."

"I try to be strong, but sometimes, like that day, I feel like that same little girl, watching bad things happen and not being able to do anything to stop it." The tears began to roll. "I thought I could do the task force and make a difference. I knew I could do it."

"You could, dear," he said honestly, "You can do anything you put your mind to."

"I love how you have such faith in me, Gil, I really do, but I wish I could have the same faith that you have." She was slow to speak, fearing revealing too much, but knowing that this was the one person who would listen and not judge.

"When I was in the …. bed….. tied up…." She paused a long moment, "I thought I was done. I thought she was actually going to kill me."

He nodded his head, indicating he understood the gravity of the situation.

"And all I could think was that I was never going to get to see you again." This time the tears began to roll.

"I'm so sorry." He comforted her, "I've been an ass to you, I should have admitted my feelings for you much sooner, but I just didn't know how to understand what I was feeling. I have never felt like this with anyone."

"It's not your fault…" she began.

" But it is, Sara," he interrupted her, "If I had given you the love you wanted, needed, deserved, when I first felt it, you wouldn't have felt the need to go out and prove yourself by taking a risk like that."

"I love you Gil Grissom."

"I love you Sara Grissom."

"Sara Sidle-Grissom," she corrected.

"Well at least I got a little concession," he chuckled. "I'll live with a hyphenate!"

She kissed him. He didn't resist.

"When I woke up from whatever drugs were in my system, I felt lost, hopeless. I tried to talk my way out of it, but she would not let me speak."

He smiled.

"Don't laugh, I know I overtalk all the time when I'm nervous, but she figured what I was doing and gagged me. When I couldn't talk or try and discourage her from what she was doing, I felt like a total failure."

She put her finger to his lips when he began to talk.

"And when I found out about your little SPS trick, yes I know about it, I felt like you didn't think I could do it, and worse than that, that you were right." She was giving him her heart and soul, and he sat and listened carefully, attentively. Proving his love for her with every nod, and every stroke of her hair.

"But now I understand that you were trying to prevent me from getting hurt, not to prevent me from succeeding." She smiled, calm, and rational, "I feel your love for me, every minute of every day, Gil, I feel you behind me."

"I am here for you, always."

"I'm home with you. I'm safe, I'm cared for, I don't have to worry about what the future holds, as long as the future is with you." She began to stream tears again. "I've never felt like this before, Gil. I'm glad you were there watching over me."

"I will be here for you, always."

He reached over to kiss her. She grabbed his head and pulled him close to her. She quickly moved to sit on his lap, facing him, knees on the sofa on each side of him. He looked surprised by her aggressiveness.

But it was a good surprised.

He knew he was not going to be able to slow her down, she seemed like she had cleared her mind of what was bothering her and she was ready to express herself in the most intimate way possible.

She pulled at his shirt, exposing his sexy chest, and running her fingers through his hair. She was biting at his neck and earlobes, making him crazy with desire. Her breasts rubbing up against him, making him get even hotter.

She stood up, offering him her hand, and lead him from the sofa to the bed.

"Wait."

She left him and walked to the bathroom, where the giant Jacuzzi was located.

She began to fill the tub with warm water and scented oil. She hummed as she was moving around the bathroom, preparing the perfect romantic interlude.

When the tub was full, she put on the jets, took off her clothing, and then went to the bed to retrieve her partner.

She pulled his belt off, allowing his pants to come off easily. Then the shirt. She stepped back and admired him. He was a gorgeous man, stocky in build, but so well proportioned that he made her heart jump just standing next to him. His was erect, having been groped and soundly aroused only a scant few moments ago. Whatever she had in mind, he was ready.

She lead him to the bathroom, stepped into the tub, and then encouraged him to follow her. The room had begun to take on the smell of the lavender bath oil. The bubbles were popping around him.

She resumed her position on top of him.

The smell, the jets of the tub, her lips in the right places, he was ready to take her right then and there.

But she had other plans.

She stepped out of the tub, grabbing a plush terry towel and offering him a hand to help him out.

Without a word, she moved them to the bed, laid him down on the towel, and immediately focused her attention on his erection.

He laid back, closed his eyes, and let her work her magic.

She moved her lips up and down his shaft, using her hands to massage other areas to increase the pleasure. She loved pleasing him this way. And he loved letting her. He had never been with a woman who so fully enjoyed pleasing him this way. He figured that it was part of the connection that they had developed. They both knew how to please the other one.

After a few moments of bliss, he had to make her stop. He needed to feel himself dive deep inside her. He reached for a condom, but she pushed his hand away.

"I'm ready to stop using those now, if you are."

His heart sang. She was thinking about the idea of conceiving with him.

She slipped on top of him, allowing him to plunge deeply inside of her. She moved herself up and down, slowly making him want to scream for release. He opened his eyes to watch her. Her breast moved in rhythm with their lovemaking. He was mesmerized by the motion of her body, and look of her face as she approached the edge of orgasm.

She opened her eyes and looked at him. 

"Is this ok for you?" she asked.

"God, yes," he answered, gasping for breath, "I want you."

She increased her speed and finally, they both exploded, totally satisfied and content. She collapsed on top of him, burying her nose in his neck. He felt her moistness against his skin, her breasts against his chest, and her breath on his neck. He was totally enveloped by her. And he felt he could die this way and be totally happy.

"Sara," he whispered, "I love you. You've made me complete."

"Gil," she replied, "I love you. You are the part of me that I have been missing. With you, I can do anything."

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The rest of the stay in Paris was simple and enjoyable. They saw all the sights and went to the Louvre twice.

Two days before leaving Paris, they talked about how they would, one day, like to live in Paris. Perhaps even buy a condo in Paris so that they could come back as often as possible. This would be "their" place.

They left with a promise to come back soon.

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I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I will give you the final chapter by Sunday and wrap up all of the story, hopefully to your satisfaction. Do send me a review, I'd love to hear from you!


	23. Chapter 23

_Chapter 24_

_Author's note: I don't own CSI but I do love to play with them! It's the sincerest form of flattery!_

This is it…. The final chapter to this story. I've dreaded writing this… I really don't want this story to end, but all things have an ending, so here it is….

Please, if you have not reviewed, take a moment and send me a note. It's the only pay us writers get for this obsession! And each review is like gold to us! To all who have sent reviews, my love and affection to you! Thanks for keeping me on track.

Now. The end.

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_Epilogue_

Catherine had returned to work and taken over the night shift while they were away, but she called several times to make sure that Sara was ok. She had been thrilled when the news of the marriage had come out at work; actually they announced it to everyone just before leaving on their honeymoon.

Robbins had won the pool. (Actually he seemed to win a lot of pools. But there was talk that he had inside information). Really, the good Doc Robbins, Jim Brass, and Greg had all known about the budding romance. But as they were all good friends, they kept the secret until the couple revealed it.

The night shift began to swing back into its normal processes. Sara had offered to move to the swing shift, but Ecklie (with a little arm twisting from the Sheriff) had consented to allow Catherine, as Assistant Supervisor, to handle any reviews or HR issues that had to do with Sara Sidle-Grissom.

The day after they returned to work, Sara and Grissom were brought up to speed by Greg, Nick and Warrick about the serial killer. The guys had asked Grissom if he wanted to hear it alone, but he declined, stating that Sara deserved to know how things unfolded. He felt she was emotionally balanced enough to be able to hear the story without reliving the nightmare.

Jackie Harris had been a seriously sick individual.

It turned out, she was a diagnosed schizophrenic with a documented split personality. One personality was Jackie Harris, the angry serial killer. Jackie was a lesbian, who had multiple girlfriends, and hated all things feminine. While she preferred to date more feminine women, she herself never behaved in any way that would have been what polite society would call "feminine." She dressed like a lumberjack, heavy boots and jackets even in the heat of the summer, no makeup, short hair, and a deep voice. It was like she had taken what society saw as the stereotypical lesbian and embraced it in her personality.

Jacqueline Harrison, on the other hand, was a girlie-girl. She loved dresses, and dancing and skimpy bikinis. Explains why she was an exotic dancer.

Dr. Vogel, head of forensic psychology, described the rift between the two personalities as if Jackie's persona was trying to destroy Jacqueline's persona. By killing exotic dancers, Jackie was striking out at Jacqueline.

The complicated scheme for leading the police on a wild-goose chase looking for a male killer was borderline brilliant. No one had even thought to look for a woman. But upon further investigation, it was clear that Jackie had been involved in all of the previous murders. Her death saw the end of the killing spree.

The case had been solved.

And a month later, when Sara and Grissom announced to the team that they were expecting their first child, the team saw that changes were inevitable on the night shift.

Clearly, Grissom was grooming Catherine to take over for him. She began to do evaluations and reviews for all of the CSIs on the night shift. She also began reviewing more and more files, scheduling shifts and assigning tasks.

So it was no surprise when Grissom announced he was resigning from the lab to take a teaching post at UNLV. It was time, he said, to have a real life. And thanks to Sara, he was going to actually have a chance at being a father and experiencing all of the things he had denied himself all of those years.

Love isn't always on time. But in this case, it definitely was IN time.

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I hope you enjoyed it! I'll be writing again soon so if you want to click on the little blue link, you can sign up for notification when the next story comes out. You can also click that this is one of your favorites if you want to! It has certainly been a joy to write and I would click the box myself if I could!

See you again soon!


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